Lawmaker requests info on Eric Adams official ensnared in corruption probe

NEW YORK — A City Council member is demanding the Adams administration release information about a longtime mayoral ally and city real estate honcho whose phone was seized by prosecutors last month.

Lawmaker Lincoln Restler — a political nemesis of Mayor Eric Adams — sent a letter to Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Louis Molina Thursday asking about aide Jesse Hamilton’s stewardship of the agency’s real estate division.

Restler also sought answers on Hamilton's relationship with a private-sector broker who negotiated lease deals on behalf of the city.

“Considering that DCAS has many hundreds of lease and license agreements that total approximately 22 million square feet, the potential corruption being investigated requires immediate oversight and accountability,” Restler wrote.

Last month, Hamilton was returning from a vacation in Japan with Cushman & Wakefield’s Diana Boutross and top Adams adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin, when agents with the Manhattan district attorney’s office approached the group and seized several phones, including Hamilton’s and Boutross’, according to multiple reports .

Boutross works with Hamilton to secure the city office space. And those types of lease transactions are reportedly at the heart of the Manhattan DA investigation, which is among five known probes into potential wrongdoing in the Adams administration and his 2021 mayoral campaign. Federal prosecutors indicted the mayor last month in a separate case and he pleaded not guilty.

DCAS did not respond to a request for comment about Restler’s letter.

The Brooklyn Democrat — who called for an audit on lease deals from the Independent Budget Office — is seeking a trove of information that, if made public, would provide insight into how Hamilton oversaw a massive real estate portfolio.

Restler asked for information about who paid for the trip to Japan — an excursion City Hall has described as a private vacation. Several others, including City Hall staffers and a longtime friend and lobbyist, also joined.

The lawmaker asked Molina whether Hamilton had the sojourn approved by the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board — especially considering he was vacationing with a private real estate broker who works with the city.

Boutross not only reportedly works on city lease deals overseen by Hamilton. She is also friends with Lewis-Martin and, as POLITICO previously reported , was scheduled for two sit-downs with Lewis-Martin since the outset of the administration.

With those relationships in mind, Restler’s epistle asked for clarification about the link between Cushman & Wakefield, DCAS and Hamilton and for the agency to provide detailed information about transactions under Hamilton’s watch.

“In light of the numerous investigations swirling around the Adams administration, we need to ensure that Mayor Adams and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services take the necessary steps to prevent corrupt activity and restore faith and confidence in the government of the City of New York,” Restler wrote in the missive. “New Yorkers deserve to know that DCAS is making leasing decisions that are in the best interests of taxpayers.”

Thus far, neither the city nor Cushman & Wakefield has delineated Boutross’ role in response to questions from POLITICO.

DCAS spokesperson Anessa Hodgson said Cushman is one of two tenant representatives on contract with the city, the other being commercial brokerage CBRE. The outfits plan out city leasing strategy and broker deals, Hodgson said, adding that no payments are made from the city directly to these companies. Instead, they are paid via commission from landlords.

For questions about Boutross, Hodgson referred POLITICO to Cushman & Wakefield, which released a general statement but did not address the broker’s specific role with the city.

“We have a longstanding, 15-year relationship with the city that spans across multiple mayoral administrations and we are proud of the important work we’ve done for DCAS,” company spokesperson Michael Boonshoft said in a statement.

Because prosecutors seized Hamilton’s phone, Restler also asked whether he has been placed on modified duty.

As of Thursday afternoon, Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said Hamilton’s title and role — which comes with a $213,783 salary — had not changed.

Hamilton is a longtime ally of both the mayor and Lewis-Martin and was brought into the administration as a counsel at DCAS before being promoted to lead the real estate division in late 2022.