NYC GOP CHAIRS UNANIMOUS STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR SLIWA

"Our Party is United Behind Curtis Sliwa"

The Republican leaders of all five counties today reaffirmed their unequivocal support for Curtis Sliwa for Mayor of New York City, citing overwhelming grassroots momentum, record petitioning, and citywide support built from the ground up.  

 

The five county leaders are Richmond County Chair Assembly Member Michael Tannousis, New York County Chair Andrea Catsimatidis, Bronx County Chair Michael Rendino, Queens County Chair Anthony Nunziato, and Kings County Chair Liam McCabe. 

 

“Republicans across every borough stand united behind Curtis Sliwa for Mayor of New York City,” said the county chairs in a joint statement. "In every neighborhood, volunteers have collected thousands of petition signatures and Curtis has raised millions from everyday New Yorkers, proof of a genuine grassroots movement that money cannot manufacture. 

 

"Republican voters are not going to vote for Andrew Cuomo. He is the father of disastrous bail reform, a disgraced former governor who had to resign on the eve of his impeachment, and a man facing sexual harassment allegations. He lost his own party's primary, badly and is not even appearing on the ballot on a major party line. Republicans should not have to clean up the mess Andrew Cuomo and the Democrats created, and we will not allow the political class to interfere with voters or hijack our ballot. 

 

"Curtis Sliwa is our candidate, the credible leader who will defeat the radical left and restore safety, affordability, and common sense to City Hall. He is our candidate to defeat Zohran Mamdani on November 4th.” 

 

The Republican leaders underscored that any attempt to divide the party or rewrite recent history will fail because the base is energized and unified. They emphasized that Sliwa built this campaign from the streets up by showing up in every borough, listening to New Yorkers, and fighting for the city he loves. 

Safer Streets: Governor Hochul Announces $6 Million Investment in Community-Led Public Safety Initiatives in the Bronx

Strategic Funding Will Enhance Community Justice Programming and Neighborhood Safety

Part of Governor Hochul’s Ongoing Commitment to Public Safety and Equity, Empowering Local Solutions in High-Need Areas

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $6 million, two-year investment to expand and strengthen two transformative, community-led public safety initiatives in the Bronx: District Attorney Darcel Clark’s Bronx Restore and the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership convened by New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez. This targeted commitment — developed in close collaboration with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services — responds to specific challenges in neighborhoods that have experienced persistently high rates of violence and deep-rooted inequities.

“Public safety has been and will always be my number one priority, and this new $6 million investment in the Bronx will go to community-led public safety initiatives that are proven to work and are already delivering results,” Governor Hochul said. “I am incredibly grateful for the work these community groups are doing — changing the trajectory of so many lives away from violence and back toward their community and future success. I remain deeply committed to continuing to drive down crime and increase community resources in the Bronx.”

The Bronx District Attorney’s Office will receive $3 million to serve at-risk young people in the South Bronx with community-based justice and safety strategies to prevent justice system involvement, expand opportunity and promote educational attainment and economic mobility. This program, Bronx Restore, will complement the community resources being provided through the Bronx Community Justice Center. Specifically, this new investment will support engagement with teens and young adults identified as being at the greatest risk of engaging in serious crime, and will work to reconnect them to positive influences and away from future violence and the criminal justice system.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “Governor Hochul, on behalf of everyone here in the Bronx, thank you. Thank you for investing in our borough, in our youth. Years from now we will look back on this announcement as a critical moment in our ongoing effort to make our neighborhoods safer, and to provide hope and opportunity for those who did not have it. Seventeen percent of the city’s total population resides in the Bronx, yet our County accounts for 35 percent of the city’s murders, and 37 percent of its shooting victims. This $3 million funding will be used to engage teens and young adults who are at high risk of engaging in violence.”

An additional $3 million investment will support the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, a collaborative initiative driven by New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez and other local officials, community leaders and grassroots organizations in response to persistently high levels of gun violence and a shared goal of creating a safer West Bronx. The funding will help address the root causes of violence through youth engagement, education and employment support, mental health services and stronger community connections.

DCJS will administer the funding and provide ongoing support and coordination, leveraging lessons learned through the agency’s successful Project RISE initiative, which operates in 10 communities across the state. Project RISE focuses on building safer, healthier neighborhoods by investing in youth and family supports, strengthening grassroots organizations and coordinating cross-sector collaboration.

Today’s announcement complements historic levels of state and city funding for violence prevention efforts, including the SNUG Street Outreach program at Bronx Jacobi Hospital, supported by $2.7 million, and New York City’s Crisis Management System, backed by $5 million in State support. Together, these initiatives represent a comprehensive approach to building safer, more resilient communities.

This announcement is part of Governor Hochul’s broader strategy to build safe, vibrant communities across New York State by advancing evidence-based, community-centered approaches that deliver lasting results. Since taking office, Governor Hochul has made public safety a top priority, investing in violence prevention, strengthening law enforcement partnerships and supporting innovative community-based solutions to address the root causes of crime and promote long-term stability.

Statement from NYC Comptroller Lander Celebrating Court of Appeals’ Ruling on Lawsuit Challenging Fossil Fuel Divestment by New York City Pension Funds

 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released the following statement celebrating the New York Court of Appeals’ denial of a motion for leave to appeal in  Wong et al v. NYCERS, a lawsuit that challenged the decision by three of New York City’s public pension funds (the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York, New York City Employees’ Retirement System, and New York City Board of Education Retirement System) to divest from publicly traded fossil fuel reserve owners.

“Today’s ruling by New York’s highest court is a clear and decisive victory. Climate change is a clear financial risk that must be managed responsibly. Despite this reality, anti-ESG forces continue to wage misguided attacks, in the courtroom and beyond, that seek to weaken and thwart sound risk mitigation strategies altogether. Our first and foremost priority is to safeguard the retirement security of the municipal workers and retirees who have often spent decades keeping New York City running. We remain committed to our fiduciary duty by executing a responsible investment strategy that is focused on long-term value.”

The three Systems voted to divest from publicly traded fossil fuel reserve owners in 2021, following an extensive fiduciary review process that assessed portfolio exposure to fossil fuel stranded asset risk, industry decline, and other financial risks stemming from climate change. Divestment was completed under Lander’s leadership in 2022, and the funds subsequently adopted net zero implementation plans, which provide a path for decarbonization across their investment portfolios and the global economy.

Prior to today’s ruling on the appeal, the New York County Supreme Court had dismissed the Wong lawsuit for lack of standing, finding that the plaintiffs (less than a handful of plan members) had no injury, that their theories of possible harm were speculative, and that courts should not intervene in the discretionary investment decisions of politically accountable trustees. The First Department Appellate Division affirmed the New York County Supreme Court’s dismissal. Today, the New York Court of Appeals denied plaintiffs’ motion for leave to appeal.

Government Employee Arrested for Unlawful Retention of National Defense Information

 

Ashley Tellis, 64, a U.S. citizen residing in Vienna, Virginia, was arrested on Oct. 11 in connection with his alleged unlawful retention of classified national defense information. Tellis appeared today in the Eastern District of Virginia for a detention hearing. 

“Safeguarding our country’s national defense information is a top priority,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sue J. Bai of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “For those entrusted with our country’s most sensitive information, protecting it is a privilege and solemn responsibility. With the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors and agents, we will hold this defendant accountable for breaching that trust and exploiting his security clearance to unlawfully retain classified information detailing our military capabilities.” 

“The FBI arrested Ashley Tellis, a senior advisor at the Department of State and a contractor within the Department of Defense, for allegedly removing over a thousand pages of classified national defense information from government facilities and storing them in his home,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This arrest should serve as a stark warning to anyone thinking about undermining national security. The FBI and our partners will do everything within our power to find you and hold you accountable.”

“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

“U.S. government security clearance holders are entrusted to keep our nation’s most sensitive secrets safe,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “By allegedly removing classified documents from government facilities and storing them in his basement, Mr. Tellis betrayed that trust. The FBI and our federal partners acted quickly to execute a court-authorized search warrant and arrest Tellis to protect our national security and prevent highly classified defense information from falling into the wrong hands.”

According to court documents, Tellis held a Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. He has worked for the U.S. Department of State since 2001 and currently serves in addition as a contractor for the Department of Defense’s Office of Net Assessment. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

As alleged, Tellis accessed classified documents on multiple occasions from secured facilities, including a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at the Department of Defense and a secure computer system at the Department of State. In one instance, Tellis altered the filename of a classified document, printed portions of it under the altered title, and then deleted the re-named file. In another incident, he was observed placing classified materials into a notepad and concealing them within his personal briefcase before leaving a secured government facility.

During a court-authorized search of Tellis’s residence, investigators recovered over 1,000 pages of documents with classification markings, including materials labeled SECRET and/or TOP SECRET. These documents were found in locked filing cabinets, in a basement home office, and in trash bags stored in a basement utility area.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attorney General James Delivers $1.4 Million to New York City Construction Workers Whose Rights Were Violated

 

Alba Will Pay Restitution to More Than 700 Current and Former Employees, Implement Sweeping Reforms to End Retaliation and Abuse

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a $1.5 million settlement with Alba Services, Inc., its owner Andrew Horan, and a network of related New York City construction and demolition companies (collectively, Alba) for repeatedly violating state workers’ compensation laws, retaliating against injured workers, and failing to address sexual harassment in the workplace. A wide-ranging investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) uncovered unlawful practices dating back nearly a decade and impacting more than 700 workers. Under the terms of the settlement, Alba must pay $1.4 million in restitution to current and former Alba employees and adopt sweeping reforms to comply with New York’s labor and human rights laws. In addition, Alba must pay $100,000 for a settlement administrator.

“For nearly a decade, Alba silenced injured workers, manipulated insurance costs, and allowed a culture of harassment to fester on its worksites,” said Attorney General James. “Today, I am proud to deliver $1.4 million to workers harmed by this misconduct. We have made sure that Alba can no longer threaten, intimidate, or exploit its workforce. My office will never allow companies to cheat workers out of their rights or create hostile workplaces that endanger their safety and dignity.”

The OAG launched an investigation in 2022 after a referral from Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79. Following a review of more than 60,000 pages of documents and dozens of witness interviews, OAG found that between 2016 and 2024, Alba failed to report hundreds of workplace injuries to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) as required by law and explicitly instructed employees not to file eligible claims. Of the injuries Alba was legally required to report, OAG determined that the company reported less than half. By keeping claims artificially low, Alba reduced its insurance costs and gained an unfair advantage over competitors.

Alba retaliated against employees who sought to file claims through harassment, threats, and financial incentives to stay silent. On at least two occasions, the company posted flyers publicly naming workers who had filed claims, accusing them of fraud and offering $5,000 for information leading to their arrests. Andrew Horan would also send text messages to his foremen unlawfully exposing the workers’ names and offering cash rewards for information about them. The OAG documented at least 60 instances in which Alba unlawfully disclosed workers’ names.

The investigation further revealed that Alba would sometimes interfere with medical treatment by sending company representatives to accompany injured workers to urgent care centers or hospitals and misrepresent how and where the injury occurred. Alba directed its workers to specific clinics it had agreements with to conceal workplace injuries and block workers’ compensation claims. In some cases, the company steered employees with serious injuries to their preferred urgent care clinics, despite the employee truly needing emergency room care.

In addition, OAG found that Alba failed to prevent sexual harassment and retaliated against employees who reported misconduct. At least two workers described repeated harassment by a foreman who sent inappropriate messages, made unwanted comments on their appearance, and engaged in physical contact. When the women rejected his advances, the foreman retaliated by assigning them to more grueling work. The harassment created a hostile environment for the targeted employees and contributed to a culture in which male colleagues bullied or ridiculed women seen as associated with the foreman. When one worker attempted to report the harassment, her hours were cut until she was ultimately removed from the schedule. As part of today’s settlement, Alba is required to terminate the foreman’s employment and adopt comprehensive anti-harassment policies and training to ensure workers are protected in the future.

Alba’s misconduct disproportionately harmed immigrant and non-union workers, many of whom reported intimidation and fear of retaliation when injured. By suppressing claims and discouraging employees from seeking benefits, Alba both cheated its workers and manipulated insurance premiums to cut costs.

As a result of the investigation, Attorney General James is requiring Alba to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the more than 700 employees injured between 2016 and 2024. Alba will pay an additional $100,000 for an independent settlement administrator. Eligible workers will be able to file claims through the settlement administrator. The fund will provide meaningful compensation to individuals who may have lost wages, faced medical expenses, had delayed medical treatment, been deterred from filing a workers’ compensation claim, or endured retaliation after workplace injuries. Any funds not used for administration will be redirected to maximize payments to affected workers, ensuring that every possible dollar goes to the workers Alba harmed.

Alba must also change its business practices to end these abuses. The company is required to accurately report all workplace injuries, stop retaliating against injured workers, and end interference with medical treatment or claims. It must establish and enforce robust sexual harassment prevention policies, conduct mandatory biannual trainings in English, Spanish, and Russian, and submit to three years of oversight by OAG, with the option to extend monitoring to six years if violations persist. Alba must also file biannual reports to OAG documenting compliance with workers’ compensation and human rights laws.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATALLY SHOOTING CUSTOMER AFTER DISPUTE IN TACO BELL WHERE HE WORKED, AND WOUNDING TWO INNOCENT BYSTANDERS

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for first-degree Manslaughter and other charges for fatally shooting a man and wounding two bystanders after an argument in a Bronx Taco Bell restaurant 

District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant fired four to six shots at the victim, and he was killed in front of his wife, and two innocent bystanders were wounded. This was a senseless, vicious crime. I hope today’s sentence brings justice to the deceased man’s family and the survivors.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Edison Cruz, 28, of the Bronx, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and five years post release supervision for first-degree Manslaughter, first-degree Assault and two counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Rosenblueth. The defendant was found guilty of those charges by a jury on July 2, 2025.

According to the facts at trial, on May 3, 2022, at approximately 12:46 a.m., Cruz was working in the Taco Bell Restaurant on Jerome Avenue in the Mount Hope section when he got into an argument with David Scott, 31, who was there with his wife. The couple left the restaurant. Cruz left and was walking on East Burnside Avenue when Scott and his wife followed him, continuing the argument in front of a bodega. Scott went into the bodega and came out with a hockey stick. Cruz pulled out a 9mm handgun and shot Scott four to six times. A man was shot in the bicep and a woman was shot in the abdomen. Both survived. Cruz put the gun in garbage bag and into a trash can and went back to work. The NYPD recovered the gun. 

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Dominic Robinson of the Bronx Homicide Squad and Orlando Colon formerly of the 46th Precinct for their work on the case.  

Governor Hochul Announces $55 Million State Investment to Advance Fordham Landing South, Unlocking More Than 900 Affordable Homes on the Bronx Waterfront

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia Joined Governor Hochul to Announce Transformative Project

State Funding Will Deliver Critical Site Infrastructure and Public Access on the Harlem River, Enabling a 100% Affordable, Mixed-Use Community Near Metro-North 

Governor Kathy Hochul today was joined by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia in the Bronx to announce a $55 million Empire State Development (ESD) investment to advance Fordham Landing South, a transformative, 100 percent affordable housing project planned along the Harlem River. The State funds will support essential site infrastructure, including site acquisition, planning and design, infrastructure construction, and other costs, to unlock a mixed-use, transit-oriented development that will bring new affordable homes, jobs, and public space to the Bronx waterfront.

Building on the City of New York’s plan announced in August 2025, Fordham Landing South will create more than 900 new affordable homes. The project will transform an underutilized stretch of the Harlem River into a vibrant, connected neighborhood featuring a charter school, grocery store, underground parking, three acres of public waterfront and improved access to Metro-North service.

“Across New York, we are taking bold action to tackle the housing crisis and make our state more affordable for everyone,” Governor Hochul said. “Projects like Fordham Landing South are what progress looks like — government at every level coming together to turn vacant or underused land into vibrant communities with affordable homes, jobs and public space. I’m proud that New York State is investing in the Bronx and building a stronger, more inclusive future for all New Yorkers.”

Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY26 Enacted Budget includes more than $1.5 billion in new State funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. These measures complement the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, included in the FY23 Enacted Budget, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 65,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

The FY25 and FY26 Enacted Budgets also strengthened the Governor’s Pro-Housing Community Program — which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 360 communities have received Pro-Housing certification.

MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR AVILES-RAMOS, COMMISSIONER KAUFMAN KICK OFF 2026 “BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS” E-SPORTS COMPETITION

Digital Gaming Competition Encourages Students to Design More Sustainable, Future-Ready New York City 

Mayor Adams Reveals First Round Prompt to Redesign Pier 6 in Sunset Park 

Competition Comes as New York City’s Digital Gaming Industry Continues to Grow,

Creating Thousands of Jobs and Generating Billions of Dollars in Economic Impact 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman today launched the first round of the sixth annual New York City Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition (BOTB). Through BOTB, K-12 students compete to build a more inclusive, sustainable, future-ready New York City in Minecraft while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, for the first time, the Adams administration will baseline $60,000 for the annual competition to support critical technology needs for participants and educators. Submissions for student teams are open now and close on January 16, 2026. Information on how to join the challenge, as well as entry-level training courses for educators to bring digital gaming into their classrooms, is available on the New York City Public Schools website.

“We’re not just making sure our students are prepared to join the digital gaming industry but training them to lead it — that is what this competition is all about,” said Mayor Adams. “By encouraging students to learn computer science, build critical thinking skills, and explore sustainable design, we are both engaging our young people today and laying the foundation for good-paying careers after they graduate. Congratulations to last year’s winners and good luck to this year’s teams!”

“The annual Battle of the Boroughs competition showcases the incredible potential of our students when they’re given the tools and the platform to thrive,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “The new funding set aside by New York City Public Schools to support this initiative will help us to celebrate and lift the creativity and innovation of our young people even further. I’m proud of every student who participates, and I’m grateful to the educators and partners who continue to support them every step of the way.”

“The annual Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs competition is back, with the earliest entry date yet, so that even more students across the five boroughs get an opportunity to enter and take a meaningful step towards an education and career in the city’s burgeoning digital games industry,” said MOME Commissioner Kaufman. “The Adams administration and our office are committed to supporting digital game development through the Battle of the Boroughs competition leading to the Mayor's Cup Final and the second annual New York City Video Game Festival in the spring of 2026.”

“The Battle of the Boroughs empowers the next generation of New Yorkers to use digital gaming technology to reimagine city spaces, inspiring NYCEDC and our continuous revitalization work,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “The competition is an outstanding opportunity to engage students across the five boroughs in city planning, digital innovation, and sustainability, and NYCEDC looks forward each year to seeing the visionary concepts from our city’s young minds.”

BOTB — which was developed in partnership with Minecraft Education and builds on Mayor Adams’ Digital Gaming Initiative, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done (GSD) — is a scholastic digital gaming competition in which elementary, middle, and high school students compete to design future-ready city spaces. Through the competition, students explore the five boroughs, learn more about New York City’s sustainability plans, and develop valuable computer science and critical thinking skills.

Mayor Adams today also announced the prompt for the first round of this year’s competition: to reimagine Pier 6 at the MADE Bush Terminal Campus in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. In August 2025, the Adams administration broke ground on a transformation of the actual Pier 6, which will create an engaging new open space for community residents and tenants of the MADE Bush Terminal Campus. The campus offers modern facilities and gathering space to promote manufacturing and business activity along the Sunset Park waterfront. In the first round of the competition, students are encouraged to create alternative designs for the project. Top submissions will compete at an in-person qualifying round in each borough. The BOTB Mayor’s Cup Final will take place during the 2^nd Annual New York City Video Game Festival in the spring of 2026, presented by MOME.

As part of today’s announcement, Mayor Adams also celebrated last year’s winning student teams:

• PS 889 in Brooklyn (Elementary School Winner)
• Nest+M in Manhattan (Middle School Winner)
• World Journalist Prep in Queens (High School Winner)

Since coming into office, the Adams administration has made historic investments to establish New York City as a leading hub for digital games, including investing over $2 million in CUNY’s first-ever Game Design Bachelor’s Degree; launching the NYC Summer of Games initiative to shine a light on all digital events in the city throughout the summer; creating the first-ever Game Development Industry Council to advise the city’s policies and programs in the games development sector; and supporting game and workforce development though the “Made in NY” Developer Grant, the “Made in NY” Animation Training Program, and the NYU Game Design Future Lab. Collectively, this work is helping to spur the digital games industry and create good-paying jobs for New Yorkers.

The city’s digital gaming industry has continued to grow under the Adams administration. Since 2019, the number of game development studios in New York City has increased by 90 percent, to 380 studios today; the number of industry jobs has increased by four percent, to 7,900 jobs; and the economic impact of the industry has increased by 30 percent, to $2.6 billion.

“Battle of the Boroughs has proven that, when you give students a platform like Minecraft to show their creativity and critical thinking skills, they come together in amazing ways to solve complex challenges,” said Allison Matthews, head, Minecraft Education at Mojang Studios. “In this new AI era, these skills have never been more important. We are thrilled to be part of this year's kickoff with Microsoft and can't wait to see what's crafted during the competition.”