Bag-of-cash saga enlivens NYC mayoral race

For Winnie Greco, a longtime adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, it was a gesture of friendship. A bag of Herr’s Sour Cream & Onion ripple cut potato chips containing a red envelope with a $100 (3,200 baht) bill and a bunch of $20s enclosed as a gift to a friend.

- STORY: LAURA NAHMIAS / BLOOMBERG

For the recipient — a reporter for The City — it was a gift she could never accept. She reportedly told Ms Greco as much on Wednesday, before Ms Greco later asked the publication to “please forget about this.”

Katie Honan, the City reporter, flagged the incident to her editor. The publication reported it to the New York City Department of Investigation, which in turn contacted federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, who seized the money.

Ms Greco, a volunteer on Mr Adams’ reelection campaign, was quickly suspended even as Steven Brill, her lawyer, claimed the incident “has been blown out of proportion.”

“This was no bag of cash, this was no payoff,” said Mr Brill. “This was approximately $300 given as a gesture of friendship to a reporter that Winnie knew and was fond of.”

But for the mayor, elected in a landslide as a Democrat in 2021 but now running as an independent in this November's election, it comes at a tricky time.