Mayor Adams is hosting a kickoff event for his reelection campaign this coming week — and an aide in his office violated city rules by using his government email account to advertise the gathering, the Daily News has learned.
The “special campaign announcement” is set to take place Thursday morning on the steps of City Hall, per a poster the aide, Grant Yanney, sent to a list of dozens of city government colleagues and others, according to a source who provided The News with a copy of the message.
“MEA needs our support! Save this image and blast out to your folks via text and Gmail,” Yanney, a director in Adams’ office of talent and workforce development, wrote in the Saturday message, using his City Hall email account. “Special note: If you can take an early lunch, please save the date and make plans to join Mayor Adams on City Hall steps.”
The poster Yanney attached to the message says it was produced by Adams’ campaign and includes the phrase “Reelect Eric for mayor. Delivers. Never quits,” a new slogan for his reelection bid.
“Join us for a ‘special’ campaign announcement with Eric Adams for 2025,” the poster says. “RSVP to be part of this exciting event. Let’s work together towards a bright tomorrow.”
Under local law, municipal employees like Yanney cannot use “any city resources,” including email accounts, for “any political activity,” according to the city Conflicts of Interest Board. The board in 2007 fined a city public school principal $5,000 for sending a letter to parents of her students urging them to support an elected official’s reelection.
COIB Executive Director Carolyn Miller wouldn’t comment on Yanney’s situation due to the panel’s confidential enforcement process. Miller did confirm “public servants are prohibited from using City resources, including City email accounts, for any campaign-related activity.”
Yanney, who has worked for Adams since joining his Brooklyn borough president’s office in 2021, acknowledged he shouldn’t have sent the message from his city government account, calling it an “honest mistake.”
“I accidentally sent the email from my work account instead of my personal Gmail,” he wrote in an email to The News, adding he was multitasking at the time, dealing with personal matters.
Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for Adams’ campaign, declined to elaborate on the nature of Thursday’s announcement, only saying it will be a “big” deal for the mayor’s campaign.
Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams’ office, wouldn’t comment on the event, but said his team is “looking into” Yanney’s email misuse and added the mayor expects “every city employee to adhere to COIB laws.”
Adams is facing a difficult path to reelection, running as an independent in November’s general election after dropping out of next week’s Democratic mayoral primary amid continued political fallout from his corruption indictment.
His Thursday event is set to take place on the heels of Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Andrew Cuomo is polling as the favorite to win Tuesday’s contest. However, due to the ranked choice tabulation process, it’s unlikely a primary winner will be declared before July 1.
In addition to the Democratic nominee, Adams will face off in November against Republican Curtis Sliwa, independent Jim Walden as well as potentially a Working Families Party candidate.
Originally Published: June 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM EDT
