Adams demands 'discipline of message' to combat 'gotcha' press corps, audio reveals

NEW YORK — Every single communication from a city agency, down to notices about cherry blossoms in bloom, must be approved by City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams has instructed administration staff — warning that anyone violating his “discipline of message” would be fired, according to the audio of a Zoom call obtained by POLITICO.

The reason for the new policy that some described as heavy-handed is to counter a "gotcha" press corps the mayor has already sparred with since taking office.

“The first few months we’ve noticed that press advisories have gone out or press releases have gone out and number one, we knew nothing about it or it was something that we were still contemplating here — and that’s just not how I operate,” Adams said during a Zoom call Thursday with about 50 officials from city agencies.

“I’m a big believer in discipline, discipline of message and discipline of action,” continued Adams, a former cop who is known for his commitment to early mornings, daily meditations and a healthy diet.

It’s unclear what wayward messaging the mayor was referring to, but several high-ranking officials have recently made statements contrary to his positions.

Mixed messages

Last month, the mayor said he wanted parents of 2- to 4-year-olds to decide if their kids would wear face coverings in school or daycare. Then the mayor’s new health commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, said he thought the mask mandate for toddlers should stay in place. (The directive remains, following an uptick in Covid-19 cases).

Also last month, a Fire Department official testified at a City Council hearing against the use of propane heaters for outdoor dining over safety concerns. Asked about the testimony during a press conference Adams said, “I like outdoor heaters.” He added, “The FDNY? They work for me. And the final say-so of how we execute my agencies will be determined by me.”

Finally John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for counterterrorism and intelligence, claimed the department never surveilled Muslims in the wake of 9/11. In response, Adams went beyond acknowledging the surveillance. “What we did was wrong,” he said. “We did some things that were wrong, and they will never happen under my administration.”

Miller, who is also the deputy commissioner of public information, was one of the agency officials on the call, according to one staffer who participated in the briefing.

That staffer, and six others who listened in, acknowledged that most mayors try to control messaging and require agency staff to flag at least some media advisories for City Hall before they’re released to the public.

But Adams’ new “city agency press release tracker” where communication officials from dozens of departments must submit press releases, plans for press conferences or other public statements for approval is beyond the level of message control demanded under previous administrations, according to four officials who have worked for multiple mayors.

“You check with City Hall on things, but not at this level,” one agency official said in an interview.

“What I found strange is people were talking about very innocuous things like planting trees and he said, ‘I want to know about it.' It seems pretty micro-managey,” the official said. The official also questioned Adams’ apparent lack of trust in the commissioners he appointed.

“What is imperative to know is, you are assigned to an agency under a commissioner but you work for me,” Adams said during the Zoom.

“The commissioner leads an agency, but I lead the city. I’m the mayor of the city and all communications that come through this city government is coming through my message."

City Hall spokesperson Fabien Levy said, “I think the mayor made it clear — one team, one voice.” Levy received a lot of positive feedback from participants after the call, he said.

Concern from staff

During the question-and-answer session, a parks department employee asked Adams if advisories about a tree planting volunteer event or “fun things like last week’s cherry blossoms” would require vetting.

“The answer is yes because sometimes I’m at an event and the team prepares me with notes and the worst thing that could happen is if you did an event or one of the other teams did an event and I’m questioned and have no idea what it is,” Adams responded.

“It’s amazing where you and I see some things as simplistic, but we’re dealing with a very aggressive press corps where there’s an ‘I gotcha’ moment instead of ‘I got you’ and we need to be on top of that.”

Adams did let the agency staffers know he had an open-door policy and invited them to reach out to him directly with any concerns. He also said he was trying to create a “safe space to work in so we can be as productive as possible.” He promised to personally review submissions every morning after drinking his smoothie and exercising, adding that he wouldn’t delay their work.

But a second agency staffer on the call said Adams warned what would happen if officials crossed him.

“I do not accept people sabotaging this administration,” Adams said. “If I ever find out that happens, someone intentionally does something that is inappropriate, you will not work for me as the mayor.”

While Adams’ remarks about "discipline of message” are reminiscent of the paramilitary nature of the NYPD where he served 22 years before retiring as a police captain, he was best known for being an activist within the ranks fighting for reforms. He was once docked 15 vacation days for appearing on TV without a supervisor's permission.

A third agency staffer said the call was reflective of the enormity of Adams' new role compared to his past post as Brooklyn borough president.

“There’s a big step up from 100 staff at Borough Hall to 400,000 in city government, and at a certain point it may be good to let go and put trust in the people you hired,” that staffer said.

The agency official who was concerned by the mayor’s sabotage remarks said the level of control Adams envisions simply isn’t possible when you’re the executive of the nation’s largest city.

“He clearly wants total and complete control, a fiction, but he certainly thinks that’s something he can achieve," the official said.