Mayor Eric Adams and the New York Times find themselves embroiled in a bitter conflict regarding allegations that he deceived people by carrying a weathered photograph of his friend and deceased NYPD comrade in his wallet for many years.
This dramatic showdown unfolded on Thursday when the publication asserted that the picture of Officer Robert Venable, which Adams claims he has always kept with him, is not genuine. Instead, they argue that it is a manipulated Google image printed out to appear aged.
The mayor’s office swiftly took a defensive stance, vehemently accusing the newspaper of launching a “false attack” against Adams. They went as far as gathering several family members of the slain officer to publicly reject the allegations.
Adams’ spokesperson, Fabien Levy, expressed outrage in a statement, condemning The New York Times for subjecting Robert Venable’s loved ones to reliving the tragic murder for the sake of their obsession with scrutinizing every aspect of the mayor’s life. Levy characterized this as part of the publication’s failed attempt to depict the mayor as a liar.
According to an anonymous source, the heart of the Times’ story is that employees within the mayor’s office were allegedly coerced into altering the photo of Venable in January of the previous year, shortly after Adams publicly disclosed carrying the small portrait.
The source claimed that these employees found an image of the deceased officer on Google, printed it in black and white, and intentionally stained it with coffee to give it an aged appearance.
Adams’ office, however, denies the accusation of tampering with the photo and asserts that the newspaper initially contacted them to claim that the mayor and the fallen officer were never really friends. The mayor’s office clarified that the primary focus of the newspaper’s inquiry was not about the photo itself but rather about the authenticity of the relationship between the two former officers.
Although the office acknowledges that disproving the Times’ claims consumed an excessive amount of time, they managed to locate Venable’s loved ones and several former police officers who could corroborate the close friendship between Adams and the fallen officer.
Despite the allegations of a doctored photo, the mayor’s spokesperson insisted that over 30 years ago, Adams made a copy of Venable’s published photo from an NYPD Transit News Bulletin, which he still possesses to this day. Levy emphasized that the mayor has carried a picture of his friend who died in the line of duty for decades, dismissing the newspaper’s attempt to attack the mayor as laughable and offensive.
In defense of their reporting, a Times spokesperson stated that the main point of their story, which the mayor and his office do not deny, is that the photo he displayed to reporters and claimed to have carried for decades was created by aides who took steps to make it appear older.
As a former NYPD captain, Adams has repeatedly mentioned in public since assuming office that he carries a wallet-sized image of his late friend. He revealed this during a press conference in January of the previous year while addressing the recent murders of two NYPD officers, Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera, who were fatally shot while responding to a domestic call in an East Harlem apartment on January 21, 2022.
According to the Times’ source, the manipulated photo was created shortly after Adams made these remarks. The publication also noted that in February 2022, the mayor posed for a photo session with them after their request to see the original image.
During an interview with the outlet at that time, Adams explained that he had kept the portrait in his wallet until it became too bulky and then switched to a money clip.
Adams reiterated the significance of the photo in two TV appearances in April 2022 and showcased it while delivering a speech at a Police Academy ceremony in June of the same year.
While facing criticism following the exchange, Adams’ Republican rival for the mayoralty in 2021, Curtis Sliwa, likened the mayor to President Biden by alleging that he embellishes stories. Sliwa expressed the need for intervention, commenting that fabricating a photo of a police officer and adding coffee stains was unnecessary.
{Matzav.com}
The Mayor is as honest as they come. A man of the people. A natural born leader and peacemaker.
Rent due.
The New York Times has no issue with Adams lying.(assuming he is) After all that is their own specialty. Their issue is that his lie is going the wrong way and directed at the wrong crowd. They want him to be lying about his unpleasant encounters with the police as a black man which prove how we need to abolish them…