New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams’s recent trip to Puerto Rico raises some questions after it became known that he traveled to Isla del Encanto in the private jet of a Bitcoin billionaire. However, the next city leader insists that he did nothing wrong.
On election night, Adams partied with crypto billionaire Brock Pierce at the posh Zero Bond club in Lower Manhattan. Two days later, he tweeted that he would receive his first three bitcoin paychecks when he became mayor, and later that day, he would take a trip to the island destination on Pierce’s private jet.
Adams was visiting Puerto Rico for a political conference on issues important to Hispanic communities. The elected mayor insisted that he personally paid for his trip.
“It’s for my dollar, my dime and my time. I’ve learned that the best way to get people out of your business is to pay your own check,” Adams told reporters.
After Politico reported on the plane ride, an Adams spokesman said the mayor-elect paid market value for two seats on Pierce’s plane. However, the spokesperson declined to say how much was spent or to show the receipts, saying only that no government campaign funds were used for his travel or accommodation, nor was any part of his trip given to him.
Pierce could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He has donated to the Adams campaign and publicly praised him for his promise to create a crypto-friendly environment.
“I’m incredibly excited about what can be done in New York … they are the ones who will take us into the future,” he previously said in a television interview.
While pierce’s business interests and Adams’s interest in cryptocurrencies are aligned, Adams viewed the trip to Puerto Rico as personal, not commercial. One attendee said that they will not show receipts, because in the future they want to keep private matters private if they are not related to public responsibilities.
The current city mayor came out in defense of Adams on Tuesday.
“I think Eric Adams has a real moral center. I’ve known him for a long time,” Bill de Blasio said during a news conference. “I’m sure he will find the right way to handle these things.”
Under conflict of interest rules, New York City officials like Adams cannot accept gifts from people with pre-city businesses. Adams’ team said those rules don’t apply here, adding that since Adams paid, the jet ride was not a gift.
Pierce’s company has no business before the city, Adams’ team added, at least not yet.
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