DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 35
VORNADO CHIEF SLAMS MAMDANI: Steve Roth, a billionaire real estate mogul, is aligning with fellow billionaire Ken Griffin in their disagreement with Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Roth, CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, believes the ultra-wealthy should be “praised and thanked” instead of facing criticism in viral videos, and he equates demands to tax them more heavily with racial slurs.
“I must say that I consider the phrase tax the rich — quote tax the rich — when spit out with anger and contempt by politicians both here and across the country, to be just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs, and even the phrase ‘from the river to the sea,’” Roth stated, alluding to a controversial slogan of pro-Palestinian activists, during a Tuesday earnings call.
Roth criticized Mamdani’s social media video related to the proposed pied-à-terre tax, which used Griffin’s $238 million second home as a backdrop, as “irresponsible and dangerous.” Griffin, CEO of the hedge fund Citadel, was upset by the video, and according to The Wall Street Journal, his chief operating officer hinted Citadel might halt its $6 billion plan to build a Midtown office tower with Vornado and Rudin Management.
“We are all shocked that our young mayor would pull this stunt in front of Ken’s home and single him out for ridicule,” Roth remarked, introducing the issue spontaneously before commencing a six-minute critique of the mayor.
Regarding the planned office redevelopment at 350 Park Avenue, Roth expressed confidence, stating, “it’s a good bet that we will go all in.” However, he emphasized that “this fence cannot be mended by a short, terse, insincere private apology.”
City Hall did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mamdani ran on a platform promising to increase taxes on corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers, although Gov. Kathy Hochul has generally opposed such measures, with the exception of the pied-à-terre tax.
Griffin further criticized Mamdani at a conference Tuesday, expressing concerns that the video might incite political violence and noting that the CEO of United Healthcare was “killed just a few blocks from my house.”
Roth on Tuesday highlighted the crucial role of the city’s wealthiest residents in supporting its tax base and argued that these members of the so-called one-percent are “not enemies” but rather “at the top of the great American economic pyramid for a reason.”
Roth, who contributed significantly to Mamdani’s rival — Andrew Cuomo — in the previous election, mused: “Maybe we can draft Ken to become active and lead an effort to educate New York voters and to elect right-minded candidates.”
For now, he hopes the city’s democratic socialist mayor — who he acknowledged is “young, smart and energetic” — will adopt a more favorable stance toward billionaires.
“What I beg my mayor to do is to begin every day being business-welcoming and business-friendly as his first priority,” Roth said. “That’s the only way to get the growth and financial wherewithal to accomplish his programs, some of which I must say are interesting and valid.” — Janaki Chadha
From the Capitol
CHECKING IN ON LAWLER LAND: The Democratic primary to succeed Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is heating up, with a recent poll providing a snapshot of the competitive race.
Commissioned by the left-leaning underdog Effie Phillips-Staley, the poll indicates that Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson is ahead with 26 percent of the vote, an 11-point advantage over Cait Conley, a 16-year Army veteran who secured 15 percent. However, 48 percent of respondents remain undecided.
The poll was shared with Playbook and initially reported in the left-leaning outlet Zeteo. Conducted by the left-leaning firm Data for Progress from April 17 to 24, it followed the withdrawal of former Briarcliff Manor Mayor Peter Chatzky from the race. The survey has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 5 percentage points, with participants polled online and via text.
“This Democratic primary clown car keeps producing surprises, but Conley’s flameout might be the biggest yet,” commented Lawler’s campaign manager Ciro Riccardi in a statement to Playbook.
Apart from NY-17, the poll hints at significant issues for Democrats regarding the Middle East conflict. Even in a suburban, heavily-Jewish district outside New York City, Israel’s popularity is waning among Democratic voters.
The survey revealed that 44 percent of Democratic voters sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis, while 18 percent favor the Jewish state. Twenty-three percent of respondents expressed equal sympathy for both sides, and 11 percent sympathized with neither.
Contrary to some expectations, Mamdani is not causing the political discomfort for swing district Democrats that Republicans anticipated. In Rockland and Westchester counties, Mamdani enjoys an 80 percent favorability rating with Democratic voters, with only 16 percent viewing him unfavorably, according to the poll.
In the poll’s initial question about the primary, Phillips-Staley was trailing Conley and Davidson at 8 percent. However, after exposure to messages about her opponents, Phillips-Staley’s support surged to 31 points, slightly above her competitors.
The poll also explored negative messaging about Phillips-Staley, highlighting her alleged ownership of stocks in casino companies, defense contractors, and other industries that reportedly profit at the expense of working Americans. — Jason Beeferman
NOT FONDA THIS IDEA: Actress and activist Jane Fonda is entering the debate over the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline.
The Williams Co. project, recently promoted by the Trump administration during a ceremonial groundbreaking event, aims to transport fracked gas from Pennsylvania to New York City and Long Island. Despite previously rejecting water quality permits for the project, both New York and New Jersey granted them last November, angering environmentalists. Advocacy groups have taken legal action against both states over their reversal.
The New Jersey Tidelands Resource Council is set to consider granting a permit for the pipeline project on Wednesday. The project’s future is uncertain if the council denies the permit.
“You have the opportunity to exercise leadership on this issue that will resonate all over the United States,” Fonda wrote in a letter to Sherrill this week.
“If the pipeline is rejected by the Tidelands Resource Council, that rejection will be a giant victory for New Jersey’s environment and the world’s climate,” the letter further stated.
A spokesperson for Sherrill declined to comment on the letter.
While Sherrill, like Hochul, endorses a comprehensive energy policy, Hochul has defended the Department of Environmental Conservation’s decision to issue the water quality certification, citing affordability concerns amid rising bills and the Trump administration’s opposition to renewables.
Sherrill, also concentrating on affordability, faces challenges as the pipeline would not deliver energy to New Jersey. She has not commented on the project since assuming office, but she criticized the pipeline while she was governor-elect for failing to reduce electric bills for New Jerseyans. — Mona Zhang
FROM CITY HALL
IT’S IN THE BAG: Carl Wilson was officially declared the winner of a significant City Council race today, outperforming Lindsey Boylan by more than 2,000 votes, marking a setback for Mamdani.
Wilson’s triumph was largely anticipated following the April 28 Election Day, as he led Boylan by a considerable margin in early ballot counts.
However, since no candidate achieved a simple majority in the April 28 results, the city Board of Elections conducted ranked-choice tallies.
The board released those tallies this afternoon, indicating Wilson’s victory after three rounds of ranked-choice counting, with 7,863 ballots, or 59.4 percent of the total vote.
He was well ahead of Boylan, who received 5,373 ballots, or 40.6 percent of the vote total, according to the ranked-choice tallies. The other candidates in the special election for the 3rd Council District, Layla Law-Gisiko and Leslie Boghosian Murphy, were eliminated in the third and second ranked-choice rounds, respectively.
“This victory belongs to all of us,” Wilson said in a statement after the ranked-choice results were announced. “From the start, this was a true grassroots effort powered by neighbors, volunteers, unions and supporters who showed up day after day. We build something real together, and these results reflect that.”
The special election occurred because Erik Bottcher, Wilson’s former chief of staff in the Council, vacated his seat after being elected to the state Senate in February.
Initially seen as a frontrunner for Wilson, the race took an unexpected turn in mid-April when Mamdani endorsed Boylan, a former adviser to Andrew Cuomo who was the first woman to accuse him of sexual misconduct in 2020 (Cuomo has denied the allegations). Mamdani’s endorsement was the first test of his influence since taking office and sparked a battle between him and moderate Democrats supporting Wilson, including Council Speaker Julie Menin.
Read the story from Chris Sommerfeldt in POLITICO Pro.
ACCESS DENIED: The city’s Department of Investigation released a report today highlighting several challenges faced in overseeing the Administration for Children’s Services, hampered by state law and a state agency, preventing thorough investigations of some critical government functions.
The issue is twofold.
Firstly, a state law provision restricts investigators from accessing ACS records of unfounded child abuse or maltreatment accusations. Secondly, the department is excluded if a case enters a deferral program, bypassing a full investigation of a caretaker.
This information is often essential for investigators to conclude cases where children are harmed.
“If there is a history of unfounded investigations by ACS, we’re unable to go back and look and see: Were these investigations conducted properly? Was there some misconduct? Was there a home visit that a caseworker said they did but never actually did?” DOI’s newly appointed commissioner, Nadia Shihata, stated in an interview. “We can’t look into it because we can’t even access the records.”
The rules can lead to tragic outcomes: in 2025, DOI was denied access to the full case history in 17 out of 18 child deaths it was notified of. In 2024, full records were denied in 13 out of 16 child fatalities. The previous year, the same occurred in 19 out of 25 cases, according to the department.
The state Office of Child and Family Services can sometimes be an obstacle. State law mandates DOI to obtain authorization from the office before accessing nearly any record related to children who have encountered ACS, slowing down inquiries. DOI has found that the state office often goes beyond statutory requirements, excessively delaying or limiting records, hindering DOI’s ability to investigate potential shortcomings in city service delivery.
“What we want to look into affects the most vulnerable children in the city,” said Shihata, noting the department supports state legislation to alter the rules and grant DOI more access. “It’s frustrating.”
The state argued that data sharing limitations are to protect the children involved, but it cooperates with DOI as much as possible. Spokesperson Daniel Marans noted investigators have full records access in criminal cases through law enforcement and can obtain unredacted files with family permission.
“OCFS is deeply committed to the wellbeing of children and families and takes seriously its obligation under New York State law to protect the identities of children experiencing abuse and maltreatment or institutionalization,” Marans stated. — Joe Anuta
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Progressive organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier is targeting Spanish-speaking voters in her bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the upcoming primary.
Avila Chevalier’s campaign is launching its first broadcast ad of the primary, backed by an initial investment of over $165,000. The Spanish-language commercial focuses on an issue that Democrats have used in primaries nationwide to engage their base: Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In the ad, Avila Chevalier highlights her efforts to free individuals detained by ICE and promises to abolish the agency in Congress. She also criticizes Espaillat, accusing him of supporting President Donald Trump by funding ICE — referring to votes he cast alongside many Democrats approving DHS funding.
During the recent DHS funding standoff, Espaillat was firm about not allocating funds for immigration enforcement without safeguards.
Hispanic residents constitute about half of Espaillat’s district, which includes parts of Manhattan and the Bronx, according to Census data. The five-term legislator is head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Avila Chevalier, backed by the city chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, is running to Espaillat’s left and aiming to capture the progressive momentum that helped elect Mamdani last year. The mayor has not endorsed in this race. — Madison Fernandez
IN OTHER NEWS
— ‘NOT MY BOSS’: Brooklyn police captain James Wilson has been reassigned following a video capturing him criticizing Mamdani at the site of anti-immigration enforcement demonstrations. (Gothamist)
— JUDGE OF CHARACTER: The opaque, party-controlled, and patronage-driven system for selecting and assigning New York City judges raises concerns about accountability and ongoing abuses. (Hell Gate)
— GETTING SQUEEZED: New York’s budget challenges are forcing upstate cities to implement government layoffs and cut services as officials say state and federal funding are not keeping pace with rising costs. (Syracuse.com)
Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
