Bribery Case Casts a Shadow Over Eric Adams’s Public Safety Chief
The New York Times
Despite once being ensnared in a federal corruption investigation, Philip Banks III will play a central role in the mayor’s plan to reduce gun violence.
His voice was recorded on federal wiretaps. His luxury overseas trips were scrutinized. His massages, golf outings and steak dinners were carefully cataloged.
In the end, U.S. prosecutors documented a range of questionable behavior by Philip Banks III: As a top New York City police official, he accepted paid vacations to the Dominican Republic and Los Angeles, sushi platters, cigars — even a ring worn by Muhammad Ali — from two businessmen who sought power through connections to New York City leaders.
The conduct, detailed by federal investigators, revealed a willingness by Mr. Banks to embrace favor seekers while occupying a powerful government position. It also led prosecutors to label him an unindicted co-conspirator in an expansive corruption scheme that reached Mayor Bill de Blasio and led to prison time for Mr. Banks’s close friend Norman Seabrook, the leader of the city’s correction officers’ union, among others.
