There's finally some good news for Eric Adams—on Thursday, the New York Post reported that the mayor has successfully fought the latest Health Department citation taking him to task over his allegedly rat-infested Bed-Stuy townhome.
In September, Adams was again fined $300 by the DOH after an inspector reportedly found "fresh rat droppings" by the "garbage storage area and near the property line," as well as "active" rat burrows. As the Daily News noted at the time, that citation was "the fourth rat-related summons the rodent-despising mayor has been hit with since May 2022."
During a hearing at the end of October, Adams fought the citation, and won, thanks to some video evidence. Via the Post (emphasis my own):
In testimony delivered over the phone, the mayor said his property was rat-free, but that the critters were present in his neighbor’s yard—which may have accounted for the infestation inspectors reported, documents show.
He also submitted security footage from Sept. 15 that was time-stamped to the inspector’s reported visit, which he said showed no sign of rat nests—let alone an inspector.
"Respondent pointed out that no one appears to be depicted inspecting or stopping at the place of offense," the decision read, before conceding Adams had proved himself innocent and declaring the summons dismissed.
To summarize: Our busy mayor, who has quite a lot on his plate, went to the trouble of compiling video evidence in his defense rather than pay a $300 fine. Glad to know his priorities are in the right place! (This also raises an intriguing question—what explains the citation? Is there a rogue inspector at the DOH who has it out for the mayor? Is it merely a case of the wrong time being written on the citation? I smell a rat…)
"The mayor prides himself on keeping his property clean," a City Hall spokesperson told the Post.
As clean as his election campaigns, maybe!
And some links that are NOT infested with rats (or maybe they are…):
- Mayor Adams did not go to SOMOS, the annual gathering of New York's politicos, despite being slated to receive an award. (He has a lot to do, OK?) Despite his absence, everyone is apparently gossipping about him, and speculating on who might challenge him in 2025.
- If the mayor is a little lonely in NYC while all of his buds are in San Juan this week, don't worry, Dr. Ruth is here to help! The noted sexologist has been appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul as the state's first "Ambassador to Loneliness." I think I know what her advice might be…
- But what would she tell Flaco?
- "Rikers Island medical staff forgot gurney, left covers on defibrillator in botched response to dying NYC detainee"
- "Upstate counties are blocking NYC's rental voucher expansion, and no one's stopping them"
- Via New York Focus: "While overdose deaths in New York reach new records each year, the state prison agency does not track them within its custody. Instead, prison staff record fatal overdoses under causes of death like 'accident,' 'natural,' or 'unknown.' New York Focus was able to quantify overdose deaths in the state’s prisons over time, using documents obtained from the State Commission of Correction and the attorney general's office...Over five years, while the prison population declined by half, the incarcerated overdose death rate nearly tripled."
- Why are venues across New York City confiscating Narcan? The New York Groove investigates.
- Will New York City's office cleaners go on strike?
- The most important civil trial in New York City has ended.
- And finally, here are what I would certainly describe as a headline and a video: "Jared Leto Climbs the Empire State Building: 'It Was a Lot Harder Than I Thought It Would Be'"
