Officials confirmed Wednesday that Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams demoted his younger brother following a wave of backlash and accusations of nepotism.
Adams demoted his brother Bernard — a 56-year-old NYPD retiree and former assistant director for parking at Virginia Commonwealth University — from the Deputy New York Police Commissioner to executive director of mayoral security after accusations of scandal and nepotism, the New York Times reported. Bernard’s salary will be $210,000 — a $30,000 cut from the purported $240,000 salary he would have had as Deputy Commissioner, NYT noted.
After just a week on the job, New York City mayor Eric Adams has appointed his brother Bernard as a deputy police commissioner https://t.co/Iu0ivzWYC6
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 8, 2022
The mayor defended his initial choice to hire his brother in a top position, claiming that white supremacy and anarchy were on the rise and that he could not trust anyone as much as “his own kin,” NYT reported.
“Personal security — my life, my life — I want in the hands of my brother with his 20-year law enforcement experience,” Adams reportedly said. “He has the police experience, but he also has the personal experience. He knows his brother, and he’s going to keep his brother safe.”
However, according to NYT, Bernard had never been part of a protective detail unit and reportedly did not handle a weapon during his tenure at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Susan Lerner, executive director of good governance group Common Cause New York, criticized Adams for the appointment.
“New Yorkers expect that public servants are hired based on their unique qualifications and not because they are the mayor’s brother,” she said, according to local outlet City and State NY.
Adams [D-NY] hands police jobs to brother, corrupt officer https://t.co/fv8Pfn8nJM
— Georgia Log Cabin (@GeorgiaLogCabin) January 11, 2022
Adams is not alone in appointing family members to positions in the New York City government. Former Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio surrounded themselves with members of their family, however, they were not paid and did not hold high-ranking titles, according to the New York Post.