New York, NY (June 24, 2026) – Citizens Union today released the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh in response to the indictment Frank Carone, former Chief of Staff to Mayor Eric Adams, on federal corruption charges.

“The allegations in the indictment present yet another case in which another senior official in the Eric Adams administration is alleged to have abused their public authority for private gain, whether for themselves or their associates.

“These allegations are serious and highlight two important concerns.

“First, they underscore vulnerabilities in the City’s emergency contracting system and the oversight mechanisms intended to safeguard it. According to the indictment, then-Commissioner Gary Jenkins of the Department of Social Services (DSS) instructed agency officials to approve a $6.8 million emergency migrant shelter contract for a vendor that had allegedly bribed Frank Carone, despite repeated objections from agency staff, who argued that the proposed site was unsuitable in both size and location. Emergency contracts must be reviewed by the Comptroller’s Office and the Law Department, which evaluate the agency’s justification for selecting a particular contractor. This raises a critical question: how was the selection of this contractor justified to those oversight bodies when the decision went against the recommendations of professional agency staff?

“The City Council has taken an important first step toward addressing weaknesses in the emergency contracting process by tightening emergency procurement deadlines through legislation sponsored by Council Speaker Julie Menin. However, these allegations demonstrate that additional reforms are still needed to strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability in emergency contracting.

“Second, the allegations highlight persistent concerns about revolving-door restrictions and conflicts of interest. We have repeatedly argued that New York City should strengthen its revolving-door laws. Frank Carone entered City Hall after representing numerous clients and associates with business before the City, yet City law did not require him to recuse himself from matters involving those individuals. Current law places virtually no restrictions on incoming officials from participating in matters related to former clients, business partners, or associates. We have urged both the City Council and the Mayor to advance stronger safeguards, including legislation proposed by Council Member Lincoln Restler.

“The indictment also describes conduct that appears to raise serious conflict-of-interest concerns. First, the brother of then-Chief of Staff Frank Carone allegedly communicated directly with the DSS Commissioner in support of the contractor at issue. Second, the DSS Commissioner, who allegedly directed staff to approve the contract at Carone’s instruction, left City government months later and shortly thereafter joined Carone’s newly-established lobbying firm.

“Neither the Council nor the Mamdani administration has taken meaningful action to advance an anti-corruption agenda, including addressing the conflicts of interest, lobbying, and ethics loopholes that became apparent under the previous administration. These allegations further demonstrate the need for stronger ethics rules, tighter revolving-door restrictions, and more robust safeguards against conflicts of interest in City government.”