City Hall corruption is nothing new, says political analysts

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — While Mayor Adams is the first New York mayor to be indicted , he is not the first to be under the microscope of federal investigators.

Two previous mayors were the focus of corruption probes that forced them out of office and there were others who were investigated but escaped criminal charges.

Democratic political consultant Geoge Artz maintains, “Every administration has gone through these scandals.  It’s part of the territory of being mayor.”

While Mayor Adams has vowed to fight the charges against him, two previous Mayors didn’t stand to fight.  They were forced out of office.

Flamboyant Prohibition-era Mayor Jimmy Walker bolted under pressure in 1932.  Investigators found he had taken large amounts of cash from businessmen seeking city contracts.

Artz remembers, “Jimmy Walker had a corruption-filled administration.  Jobs for sale, permits, everything you could mention was up for sale.”.”

Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf says “Jimmy Walker was forced to resign by the Seabury Commission after exposing corruption in city agencies, police department and other places unheard of.”

Eighteen years later, Mayor Bill O’Dwyer faced several controversies, primarily a significant police corruption scandal that undermined his administration.

According to Artz, “Eventually he was forced out of office but Harry Truman made him Ambassador to Mexico.”

Sheinkopf declares, “The third Koch administration was the most corrupt administration in New York City since Jimmy Walker.”

George Artz was Mayor Koch’s press secretary during those tumultuous years. He relates, “In a nutshell, two key allies were involved in a scandal over the parking violation bureau.” Sheinkeopf adds, “Koch himself was not implicated. He brought big city bosses back into power. He looked the other way. We had scandals, arrests, and imprisonment.”

More recent mayors were under scrutiny.  Investigators found evidence of wrongdoing in the DeBlasio and Giuliani City Hall, but neither faced any criminal charges. According to Sheinkopf, “DeBlasio and his campaign were investigated for campaign violations by the feds and district attorney but decided not to prosecute. A year later he admitted he violated the law.”

Mayor Giuliani’s administration was not immune from scandal… he had his share of them.

Sheinkopf says, “There were people in his administration that had problems but he was never implicated. Artz notes, “He had appointed the son of a powerful political ally but he abused the job. This was a nepotism, cronyism appointment. It was a blemish on his administration.”

“Every mayor tries to avoid scandal, but there are so many people in the administration you just never know if something like this could happen,” declares Artz.

Now the focus is on Eric Adams, the first Mayor in the city’s history to be hit with criminal charges.

“Will he leave?” asks Sheinkopf. “This guy is very different, he’s very tough… refuses to give up  and sees himself as a loyal friend, not as someone who has been corrupt.”

Unlike any previous investigations of city government, political analysts claim the federal government has never been so involved in rooting out city corruption. The widespread nature of it, reaching out to the mayor’s allies, they say it is something that has never been seen here before.

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