Democratic Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has been accused of using “political fraud” in order to falsely buttress his claim that he’d been carrying around a photograph of a late NYPD officer Robert Venable, who was killed in the line of duty in 1987. Adams had allegedly ordered city staff to produce a worn-down image of Venable, following his swearing-in as mayor.
“Efforts to attack the mayor here would be laughable if it were not so utterly offensive,” said Adams’ spokesperson when questioned by The New York Times. This statement was released shortly after it was revealed in the investigation that Adams had asked a staffer in the Mayor’s Office to produce and “weather” the photo for his claim.
According to an undisclosed source in the Mayor’s Office, staffers were asked to use a printed out photograph of Venable found via a Google search and print it in black-and-white to make it appear dated. Additionally, they were also said to fiddle with the printout in order to give it a desired, worn-down appearance. This was allegedly done by splashing coffee on the photo, as reported by the NYT.
This issue is concerning as it suggests that city resources were spent on creating the photo and could show us that public funds were spent on Adams’ fraudulent efforts to strengthen his political story.
When the Times contacted Robert Venable’s daughter and niece for comment on the story, his daughter responded that “as far as being in his wallet or not, the fact that people still think of my dad all these years later — whatever the meaning behind it — it makes me thankful that he’s not being forgotten.” Though the Venable family may be thankful for the compassion, his niece allegedly expressed her upset that Adams had potentially been untruthful about the photo.
Mayor Eric Adams said he kept a photo of a friend — a fallen officer — in his wallet for decades. New York City Hall aides created it. https://t.co/cDmvq7UXoW pic.twitter.com/fUILdnOltA
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 6, 2023
This story serves as a reminder that Democrats cannot be trusted when it comes to making bold assertions. Instead of seeking out the truth, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams allegedly took inspiration from a Hollywood movie where a beloved photo is taken from a wallet and used it as a way to garner false sympathy and political advantage. Adams needs to be held accountable for potentially misleading the public with this story and should be an example that Democratic fraudsters won’t receive an easy pass.