Another red strike against Eric Adams.
Earlier this week, The Drill Down reported that New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke at an event for a Chinese business group led by the “American subsidiaries of multiple companies under U.S. sanctions.” Now, it seems he’s not just connected to China, but Russia as well.
Politico is reporting top Adams advisor Ed Mermelstein, a former self-described Russian-American (more on this in a minute), served as a foreign investment attorney and high-end real estate consultant to Russia’s mega rich —you know, the kind with $600 million dollar yachts with onboard missile defense systems.
“Oligarchs and their socialite wives are quick to purchase pricey pads, looking not to just fill that vanity void, but … as an investment opportunity too. Manhattan real estate continues to prove to be a safe long term bet as the history of appreciation of these apartments are unlike any other,” Mermelstein wrote in a 2017 op-ed for the luxury living publication “Haute Residence.”
So why do we say “former self-described” Russian-American? Because all this Oligarch and Russia talk —not too good for Ed in our current political climate. Mermelstein changed his website bio after Politico started digging into him.
With a few mouse clicks, Ed went from “Russian-American” to “Ukrainian born.” Simple, right? Like Darth Vader updating his LinkedIn place of work from “Empire” to “Rebel Alliance.”
According to the Washington Free Beacon, Mermelstein said in a 2015 article that he was working for Russian clients who seek “to protect their wealth from both volatility in their home countries and potential government sanctions.” “He was also the director of a foundation owned by Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg, who has close ties to the Kremlin. The Trump administration froze $1.5 billion of Vekselberg’s assets in 2018,” WFB adds.
Adams’ office asserts that Memelstein hasn’t dealt with any Russian oligarchs since working for the Mayor.
“He has had no business dealings with Russians or anyone else since becoming commissioner and obviously condemns the Russian invasion in the strongest possible terms,” a spokesperson for Mayor Adams’ office says.
Maybe so. But these past relationships may present a conflict of interest. And one question still remains: why is Mayor Eric Adams so eager to buddy up to our closest enemies?
