MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS MARIA TORRES-SPRINGER AS FIRST DEPUTY MAYOR

 

Mayor Thanks First Deputy Mayor Wright for Years of Service Delivering   

Public Safety, On-Time Budgets, and Early Childhood Education Wins for New Yorkers

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer will be elevated to the position of first deputy mayor. Torres-Springer will assume oversight of the first deputy mayor portfolio and provide strategic direction and operational and budgetary oversight for the City of New York. She will continue to manage her housing and economic development portfolio given its significance to the administration’s agenda.    

  

Torres-Springer will assume the role, effective today, following the planned departure of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, who played a critical role in launching and co-chairing the Adams administration’s successful Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, helping to stabilize the city's budget, and reimagining the city’s early childhood education system.    

  

Through the first half of the administration’s first term, Torres-Springer led ambitious and record-breaking efforts to accelerate the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and make strides against the housing and affordability crisis. Highlights of this work include regaining the nearly 1 million jobs the city lost during the course of the pandemic more than a year ahead of schedule; launching a blueprint to create accessible career pathways and a more inclusive economy; driving down Black and Latino unemployment by nearly 30 percent; developing the “Get Stuff Built” plan to accelerate the pace of housing production; driving back-to-back record-breaking years for producing and connecting New Yorkers to new, affordable homes; advancing the Public Housing Preservation Trust to unlock billions of dollars for comprehensive renovations for thousands of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents; and advancing the administration’s historic three “City of Yes” initiatives to modernize the city’s zoning code to promote sustainability, support small businesses, and build more housing.    

  

“The first deputy mayor serves a critical role in our administration, providing the connective tissue across city government to advance priorities and ensure we are working together to deliver for New Yorkers. We are thrilled to elevate Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, whose more than two decades of experience leading multiple city agencies and executing on one of the most successful housing and economic development agendas in the city’s history will serve as a solid foundation for our administration and best position us for the future. Maria has delivered for our city over and over again, and I know she will continue to do so in this new role,” said Mayor Adams. “First Deputy Mayor Wright has served New Yorkers well over the course of our administration in helping to expand access to child care, deliver free internet access to public housing residents, and battle the scourge of gun violence in our city. We wish her well in all her future endeavors and know she will continue to do great things.”  

   

“Throughout three mayoral administrations and leading three city agencies, my focus has been to provide steady, effective leadership while delivering tangible results for every New Yorker in every neighborhood,” said incoming First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Serving this city has been my life’s work. I am deeply grateful to Mayor Eric Adams for entrusting me with this role, and I am humbled to continue working shoulder-to-shoulder with the 300,000 public servants who work tirelessly to move our great city forward.”   

  

About Maria Torres-Springer

  

Maria Torres-Springer is currently the deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce, charged with spearheading the administration’s efforts to strengthen and diversify its economy, advancing Mayor Adams’ moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes for New Yorkers by 2032, preserving and improving NYCHA, bolstering small business, connecting New Yorkers to family-sustaining jobs, and expanding access to arts and culture. As deputy mayor, she has overseen “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery,” the city’s strong jobs recovery, efforts to support small businesses with the “Small Business Forward” executive order and the “New” New York panel’s “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan, and moved transformational projects forward in Willets Point and on Governors Island.    

  

Torres-Springer previously was vice president of U.S. Programs at the Ford Foundation, where she oversaw the foundation’s domestic grant making and made historic investments to support racial equity, workers’ rights, voting rights, and arts and culture across the country.    

  

Previously, as commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Torres-Springer focused on the production of housing for the city’s most vulnerable communities, while also launching several new programs to protect tenants’ rights. She led the implementation of Housing New York, a five-borough, 12-year plan to create or preserve 300,000 affordable homes; and she steered the financing of approximately 60,000 affordable homes.    

  

Earlier in her career, as president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Torres-Springer led the implementation of the new citywide ferry service and made major investments in key sectors of the city’s economy. She also spearheaded several neighborhood revitalization plans. Prior to that, as commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, Torres-Springer prioritized efforts to raise wages and support women- and immigrant-owned businesses and worked to prepare New Yorkers for 21st-century jobs.    

  

Torres-Springer earned her bachelor's degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.   

  

Torres-Springer will report directly to Mayor Adams.   

   

“Sheena Wright has helped steer New York City through one of its most challenging times in more than a generation,” said Reverend Al Sharpton. “Whether it was in her preliminary role overseeing strategic initiatives or as first deputy mayor over the last two years, Sheena is someone who regularly engaged the Black and Brown communities that now make up a majority of New York’s population, listened to us, and sought to respond to our needs in real time. She was part of a contingent that showed the power a Black woman can have when placed in a seat of power, and I wish her well as she embarks on her next chapter.”   

 

“The mayor has made a wise choice in appointing a seasoned professional and skilled manager as first deputy mayor. We have worked closely with Maria during three mayoral administrations and know she has the capabilities and character required to lead during a time of crisis,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City. “Sheena Wright has drawn on her deep connections to all sectors of our complex city to advance equity and inclusion in city policies and programs. She played a key role in the healing process that allowed the city to emerge stronger from the pandemic and deserves our heartfelt appreciation for her service.”  

   

“I am grateful to Sheena Wright for her leadership and commitment to the city, to our workers, and to all New Yorkers. She's been an important partner and ally, and I am proud of the work we accomplished together,” said Henry Garrido, executive director, District Council 37. “I am also so happy to congratulate Maria Torres-Springer in her new role as first deputy mayor. She is extremely talented, and her commitment to the city will serve New Yorkers well.”  

   

“I applaud Maria Torres-Springer’s appointment as first deputy mayor. Her extensive experience in government and leadership in addressing the urgent need for additional housing for working New Yorkers and her support for a strong economy with good jobs speaks to her commitment to the success of our great city,” said Manny Pastreich, president, 32BJ SEIU. “New Yorkers deserve this type of leadership to manage the city’s critical operations at this moment.”    

   

  

Former New York City Hall Official Charged With Witness Tampering And Destruction Of Evidence

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging former New York City Hall official MOHAMED BAHI with witness tampering and destruction of evidence in connection with a federal investigation of unlawful contributions to a particular 2021 mayoral campaign.  BAHI was arrested today and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court.

A link to the complaint is here.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Mohamed Bahi obstructed a federal criminal investigation by instructing witnesses to lie and then destroying evidence.  The charges unsealed today should leave no doubt about the seriousness of any effort to interfere with a federal investigation, particularly when undertaken by a government employee.  Our commitment to uncovering the truth and following the facts wherever they may lead is unwavering.”

FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy said: “Mohamed Bahi, a former senior New York City Hall official, allegedly interfered with an active investigation by ordering third parties to lie to federal agents and deleting potentially incriminating correspondence from his personal electronic devices. These alleged actions were a deceitful attempt to conceal unlawful activity and create unnecessary obstacles for those working to uncover the truth. The FBI will continue to apprehend all individuals, regardless of their position, for obstruction of federal investigations.”

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “As charged, this former City Hall official advised witnesses to lie and destroyed evidence in connection with the investigation of straw contributions to the 2021 Mayoral campaign. These are serious offenses, and DOI thanks our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their commitment to maintaining integrity in investigations.”

As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today:[1]

From approximately 2022 through October 2024, BAHI has worked in the New York City mayoral administration of a certain public official (“Official-1”).  Specifically, BAHI served as a Senior Liaison in the Community Affairs Unit of that mayoral administration. 

In or about December 2020, BAHI was involved in organizing a fundraiser for Official-1’s campaign to be New York City Mayor in connection with an election to be held in 2021 (the “2021 Official-1 Campaign”).  The fundraiser was held at the Brooklyn offices of a construction company (the “Construction Company”).  At this event, which was attended by BAHI and Official-1, among others, four employees of the Construction Company (the “Donors”) made contributions in their own names to the 2021 Official-1 Campaign, but those contributions were in fact funded by the Construction Company’s chief executive officer (the “Businessman”).  Such contributions—that is, contributions made in the name of one donor but in fact funded by a different person—are commonly referred to as straw contributions.  The knowing solicitation and acceptance of straw contributions can violate federal law when, for example, a political campaign makes false statements about straw contributions to a public entity to fraudulently obtain public matching funds based on the contributions, or when the straw contributions are used to smuggle foreign money into a campaign.

Since in or about 2021, the FBI and DOI have been investigating, among other things, the receipt of straw contributions by the 2021 Official-1 Campaign (the “Federal Investigation”).  In or about 2024, BAHI took steps to obstruct the Federal Investigation by tampering with multiple witnesses and destroying evidence.  In particular:

• On or about June 13, 2024, in connection with the Federal Investigation, FBI agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Businessman’s home, and also served the Businessman and the Donors with grand jury subpoenas.  After being notified by the Businessman that the FBI had executed a search warrant at the Businessman’s home that morning, BAHI met privately with the Businessman.  BAHI told the Businessman that he had just spoken with Official-1and advised the Businessman to lie to federal investigators.  BAHI then met with the Businessman and the Donors and instructed them to lie to the FBI.
• On or about June 14, 2024, after having met with Official-1, BAHI told the Businessman that Official-1 believed that the Businessman would not cooperate with law enforcement.
• On or about July 24, 2024, in connection with the Federal Investigation, FBI agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at BAHI’s home and seized BAHI’s cellphone.  In an effort to obstruct the Federal Investigation, upon the FBI’s arrival at BAHI’s home, he deleted from his cellphone the encrypted messaging application Signal, which BAHI had previously used to communicate with Official‑1.

If you believe you have information related to bribery, fraud, or any other illegal conduct by BAHI or any other New York City employees, please contact DOI at tipline@doi.nyc.gov or (212) 825-2828. If you were involved in such conduct, please consider self-disclosing through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at USANYS.WBP@usdoj.gov.

BAHI, 40, of Staten Island, New York, is charged with one count of witness tampering and one count of destruction of records, each of which punishable by up to 20 years’ in prison. 

The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI and DOI.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hagan Scotten, Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Attorney General James Sues TikTok for Harming Children’s Mental Health

 

AG James Leads Bipartisan Coalition of 14 AGs Alleging TikTok Addicted Young People to its Platform and Collected Their Data Without Consent

Lawsuits Seek to Change TikTok’s Harmful Features to Protect Young People

New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing lawsuits against the social media platform TikTok for misleading the public about the safety of its platform and harming young people’s mental health. The lawsuits, filed individually by each member of the coalition, allege that TikTok violated state laws by falsely claiming its platform is safe for young people. In fact, many young users are struggling with poor mental health and body image issues due to the platform’s addictive features and are getting injured, hospitalized, or dying because of dangerous TikTok “challenges” that are created and promoted on the platform. Attorney General James and the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general are seeking to stop TikTok’s harmful practices and impose financial penalties on the social media company. 

“Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok,” said Attorney General James. “TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true. In New York and across the country, young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges and many more are feeling more sad, anxious, and depressed because of TikTok’s addictive features. Today, we are suing TikTok to protect young people and help combat the nationwide youth mental health crisis. Kids and families across the country are desperate for help to address this crisis, and we are doing everything in our power to protect them.” 

According to the lawsuits filed by Attorney General James and the bipartisan coalition, TikTok’s underlying business model focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the platform so the company can boost revenue from selling targeted ads. TikTok uses an addictive content-recommendation system designed to keep minors on the platform as long as possible and as often as possible, despite the dangers of compulsive use.

TikTok’s Addictive Features Worsen Young Users’ Mental Health

TikTok uses a variety of addictive features to keep users on its platform longer, which leads to poorer mental health outcomes. Multiple studies have found a link between excessive social media use, poor sleep quality, and poor mental health among young people. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, young people who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Some of these addictive features include: 

• Around-the-clock notifications that can lead to poor sleep patterns for young users; 
• Autoplay of an endless stream of videos that manipulates users into compulsively spending more time on the platform with no option to disable Autoplay;
• Attention-grabbing content that keeps young users on the platform longer;
• TikTok “stories” and TikTok live content that is only available temporarily to entice users to tune in immediately or lose the opportunity to interact;
• A highlighted “likes” and comments section as a form of social validation, which can impact young users’ self-esteem; and
• Beauty filters that alter one’s appearance and can lower young user’s self-esteem. 

Beauty filters have been especially harmful to young girls, with studies reporting that 50 percent of girls believe they do not look good without editing their features and 77 percent saying they try to change or hide at least one part of their body using these filters. Beauty filters can cause body image issues and encourage eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and other health-related problems.  

TikTok Challenges Lead to Dangerous Outcomes

TikTok challenges are viral videos that encourage users to perform certain activities, some of which have been harmful and sometimes deadly for young users. 

In one example, a 15-year-old boy died in Manhattan while “subway surfing,” a trend where people ride or “surf” on top of a moving subway car. After he passed away, his mother found videos on his TikTok account about subway surfing. 

Another example of a dangerous TikTok challenge is the Kia Challenge, videos that show users how to hack the ignition to start and steal Kia and Hyundai car models, which has led to thousands of car thefts. In October 2022, four teenagers were killed in a car crash in Buffalo that police suspect was the result of the TikTok Kia Challenge. A Kia Forte was also stolen in New York City and crashed into a house in Greenwich causing significant damage to both the car and the residence. The ignition was damaged consistent with descriptions in the TikTok Kia Challenge.

TikTok Profits from Children’s Data

TikTok also violates the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law designed to protect children’s data on the internet. TikTok actively collects and monetizes data on users under 13 years old, in violation of COPPA, and does so without parental consent. Researchers estimate that 35 percent of TikTok’s U.S. ad revenue is derived from children and teenagers. While TikTok claims to only allow users over age 13 to access all of its features, TikTok’s deficient policies and practices have knowingly permitted children under the age of 13 to create and maintain accounts on the platform.

TikTok Falsely Claims Effectiveness of Safety Tools

TikTok falsely claims that its platform is safe for young users and has misrepresented the effectiveness of its so-called safety tools that are intended to address some of these concerns. Attorney General James’ lawsuit alleges that TikTok also violated New York’s consumer protection laws by misrepresenting its safety measures, including: 

• Misleading users about its 60-minute screen time limit that it adopted to address concerns of compulsive use of its platform. TikTok deceptively advertised that teens can have a 60-minute screen time limit on the app. However, after using TikTok for 60 minutes, teens are simply prompted to enter a passcode to continue watching videos.  
• Mispresenting the effectiveness of its “Refresh” and “Restricted Mode” features. TikTok claims that users can “Refresh” the content the recommendation system feeds them and that they can limit inappropriate content through “Restricted Mode.” However, those features do not work as TikTok claims. 
• Failing to warn young users about the dangers of its beauty filter. 
• Misrepresenting that its platform is not directed toward children. TikTok publicly claims that it is not for children under 13, however, the platform features child-directed subject matter, characters, activities, music, and other content, as well as advertisements directed to children.

Through these lawsuits, Attorney General James and the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general are using state laws to stop TikTok from using these harmful and exploitative tactics. In addition, the lawsuits seek to impose financial penalties, including disgorgement of all profits resulting from the fraudulent and illegal practices, and to collect damages for users that have been harmed. 

Joining Attorney General James and California Attorney General Bonta in filing today’s lawsuit are the attorneys general of Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Each attorney general filed in their own state jurisdiction.

Today’s lawsuit is Attorney General James’ latest effort to hold social media companies accountable and protect children online. In September 2024, Attorney General James co-led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms as called for by the United States Surgeon General. In June 2024, nation-leading legislation advanced by Attorney General James to combat addictive social media feeds and protect kids online was signed into law in New York. In March 2024, Attorney General James led a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in urging Meta to address the rise of Facebook and Instagram account takeovers by scammers and frauds. In December 2023, Attorney General James led a coalition of 22 attorneys general urging the U.S. Supreme Court to make it clear that states have the authority to regulate social media platforms. In October 2023, Attorney General James and a bipartisan coalition of 32 attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against Meta for harming young people’s mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis.