City halts dubious rental agreement awarded to donor of the mayor
Mayoral associate Jesse Hamilton, responsible for managing city lease agreements, intervened in the bidding process to direct a profitable contract to the proprietor of 14 Wall St.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — City Hall has halted a potentially problematic real estate contract linked to a donor of the mayor.
Earlier this year, as PMG was the first to report, a senior aide to the mayor bypassed the established internal bidding process at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to direct a lucrative lease deal to Alexander Rovt, a prominent supporter of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' campaign and legal defense fund, who also owns a landmarked office building at 14 Wall St.
On Tuesday, three City Council members announced a pause on the lease agreement intended for a new Department for the Aging headquarters while City Hall looks into the specifics of the deal.
"Credit to First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer for hearing our concerns and pausing DCAS' fishy lease agreement at 14 Wall St.," Council Members Lincoln Restler, Keith Powers, and Chris Marte stated in a joint message. "New Yorkers deserve to know that taxpayers are getting the best deal — not rewarding the Mayor's donors with a multimillion lease."
Following PMG's revelations about the contentious leasing decision in late October, the three council members raised critical questions about the matter at a hearing the following week. They highlighted that Jesse Hamilton — a longtime personal friend and political protégé of Adams who manages lease transactions at DCAS — ignored an internal scoring system that identified the owner of 250 Broadway as the top bidder.
DCAS is a relatively lesser-known yet crucial city agency responsible for overseeing the city’s real estate portfolio.
While the council did not proceed to terminate the lease, the lawmakers sent a letter to Torres-Springer urging her to examine the pending transaction more closely, a request that was later confirmed.
City Hall did not respond immediately to inquiries for comment.
During the October hearing, legislators also investigated Hamilton's recent trip to Japan alongside other city officials, a lobbyist, and a private real estate broker collaborating with him on municipal lease transactions. Upon their return, agents from the Manhattan district attorney's office seized Hamilton's phone, as well as the phones of a senior mayoral aide and the private broker, Diana Boutross. The office is currently investigating the lease agreements managed by Hamilton.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Earlier this year, as PMG was the first to report, a senior aide to the mayor bypassed the established internal bidding process at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to direct a lucrative lease deal to Alexander Rovt, a prominent supporter of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' campaign and legal defense fund, who also owns a landmarked office building at 14 Wall St.
On Tuesday, three City Council members announced a pause on the lease agreement intended for a new Department for the Aging headquarters while City Hall looks into the specifics of the deal.
"Credit to First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer for hearing our concerns and pausing DCAS' fishy lease agreement at 14 Wall St.," Council Members Lincoln Restler, Keith Powers, and Chris Marte stated in a joint message. "New Yorkers deserve to know that taxpayers are getting the best deal — not rewarding the Mayor's donors with a multimillion lease."
Following PMG's revelations about the contentious leasing decision in late October, the three council members raised critical questions about the matter at a hearing the following week. They highlighted that Jesse Hamilton — a longtime personal friend and political protégé of Adams who manages lease transactions at DCAS — ignored an internal scoring system that identified the owner of 250 Broadway as the top bidder.
DCAS is a relatively lesser-known yet crucial city agency responsible for overseeing the city’s real estate portfolio.
While the council did not proceed to terminate the lease, the lawmakers sent a letter to Torres-Springer urging her to examine the pending transaction more closely, a request that was later confirmed.
City Hall did not respond immediately to inquiries for comment.
During the October hearing, legislators also investigated Hamilton's recent trip to Japan alongside other city officials, a lobbyist, and a private real estate broker collaborating with him on municipal lease transactions. Upon their return, agents from the Manhattan district attorney's office seized Hamilton's phone, as well as the phones of a senior mayoral aide and the private broker, Diana Boutross. The office is currently investigating the lease agreements managed by Hamilton.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
