NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Received $$$ From Same Donor Flagged in Mayor Adam’s Indictment

By:  Benyamin Davidsons

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams– who would by default become the mayor if Mayor Eric Adams resigns — also received campaign contributions from a contractor accused in Adam’s indictment for setting up illegal straw donations, city campaign records show.  Mayor Adams has said that he has no intention of resigning as mayor of New York City, still there is a slight possibility he could be suspended by the governor.

As reported by the New York Post, Williams, 48, received $5,000 in donations from Tolib Mansurov — an Uzbek American businessman who is identified as “Businessman-4” in the five-count federal indictment against Mayor Adams and two of his employees. A straw donoris someone who illegally uses another person’s money to make a political contribution in their own name. This is done to circumvent limits in campaign donations or to hide the actual source of the donation. In Mayor Adams’s 57-page indictment, it states that Mansurov donated $2,000 to Adams 2021 campaign and illegally reimbursed $8,000 total to company employees who donated to the campaign. Mansurov is described in federal case as a prominent member of a different ethnic community whose “contributions were sought and made for similar reasons to the many Turkish nationals and Turkish Americans.”

Mayor Adams is accused of accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish officials and nationals, and paying it back by putting a word in to the FDNY to expedite an inspection for the Turkish consulate’s new 36-story skyscraper. Per the Post, the indictment says that Mansurov couldn’t legally donate more than $2,000 to Adam’s campaign, so instead he directed his employees to contribute to the campaign and then paid them back.  Court documents show that Mansurov reimbursed four employees $2,000 each for their contributions.

As a result, the Adams campaign was able to qualify for the city’s match on the donations.  Later on, in 2023, when Mansurov had problems with the city’s Department of Buildings, he texted Adams for help, writing “I always supported you,” per court papers.  Adams had texted back that he would look into it. Over a week later Mansurov sent the mayor a thankful text. “Mayor, brother I want to thank you for your help. DOB issue partially resolved and they promised to expedite the process. Thank you, you have my continued support,” Mansurov wrote, per the indictment.

Williams was elected as the city’s public advocate in 2019 during a special election after previously having served as a city councilman for the 45^th district, which covers parts of Brooklyn including East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park, and Midwood.

A progressive, he has pushed movements including Black Lives Matter and police reform.  Williams ran for NYS governor in 2022, losing in the Democratic primary to incumbent governor Kathy Hochul. As per the Post, Campaign finance records show that Williams similarly received donations from Mansurov.  In his 2021 re-election campaign, Williams received a $2,100 donation from Mansurov, meeting the maximum allowed. On the same day, Jan. 24, two employees at his construction management company, United Elite Group, donated $2,100 and $800, respectively, per city records.  Mansurov also donated $10,000 to Williams’ unsuccessful 2022 run for governor.

Williams and his staff did not return The Post’s requests for comment.  Last week, a spokesman for Williams told the Wall Street Journal that Mansurov-linked donations will be reviewed.