A longtime adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who resigned from his administration while under FBI scrutiny, reportedly gave a journalist a potato chip bag filled with cash on Wednesday following a campaign event.
Winnie Greco, a former aide, presented the unusual gift to Katie Honan, a reporter for the local news site The City.
The bag reportedly contained a red envelope with a ÂŁ100 note and several ÂŁ20 notes. Ms Grecoâs lawyer later insisted the offering was not an attempted bribe. Ms Honan had previously scrutinised Ms Grecoâs conduct as a major fundraiser for Mayor Adams within the Chinese American community.
Grecoâs attorney, Steven Brill, told The Associated Press that the situation was being âblown out of proportion.”
âThis was not a bag of cash,â Brill wrote in an email. âIn the Chinese culture, money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude. And thatâs all that was done here. Winnieâs intention was born purely out of kindness.â
Asked why Greco wanted to make such a gesture to Honan, Brill said, âShe knows the reporter and is fond of her.â
The City said it interviewed Greco later Wednesday and she apologized, saying she made âa mistake.â
âIâm so sorry. Itâs a culture thing. I donât know. I donât understand. Iâm so sorry. I feel so bad right now,â Greco said, according to The City.
In response to the report of the bag filled with cash, Adamsâ reelection campaign said it had suspended Greco from further work as an unpaid volunteer and that Adams had no prior knowledge of Grecoâs actions.
The City reported Greco had texted Honan to meet her inside a Whole Foods store after they both attended the opening of Adams’ campaign headquarters in Harlem.
When given the chip bag, Honan at first thought Greco was just giving her a snack and said she could not accept it but Greco insisted, according to the report.
Honan left and later discovered the money, then called Greco and told her she could not accept it and asked to give it back. Greco said they could meet later but then stopped responding, the report said.
Greco later called The City back and asked them not to do a story, saying âI try to be a good person,” the news outlet reported.
A City Hall spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday night. An Adams campaign aide, Todd Shapiro, said Greco holds no position in the campaign.
âWe are shocked by these reports,â Shapiro said. âMayor Adams had no prior knowledge of this matter. He has always demanded the highest ethical and legal standards, and his sole focus remains on serving the people of New York City with integrity.â
A text message sent to a phone number listed in public records for Greco was not immediately returned Wednesday night.
Since she resigned as Adamsâ director of Asian affairs last fall, Greco has occasionally been seen at Adams campaign events. Before her resignation, Greco had served as Adamsâ longtime liaison with the cityâs Chinese American community. She was also a prolific fundraiser for Adamsâ campaigns.
In February of 2024, federal agents searched two properties belonging to Greco. Authorities didnât explain what the investigation was about, and Greco has not been charged with committing a crime, but she was a number of close aides to Adams who resigned or were fired amid the federal scrutiny.
The City has reported extensively on the investigation and Grecoâs conduct, including a campaign volunteerâs allegations that Greco had promised to get him a city job if he helped renovate her home.
A separate federal investigation into Adams led to a 2024 indictment accusing the mayor of accepting illegal campaign contributions and travel discounts from a Turkish official and others â and returning the favors by, among other things, helping Turkey open a diplomatic building without passing fire inspections.
A federal judge dismissed the case in April after the Justice Department ordered prosecutors to drop the charges, arguing that the case was interfering with the mayorâs ability to aid President Donald Trumpâs crackdown on illegal immigration.
