Winnie Greco, a longtime adviser to New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams who resigned from his administration whereas below FBI scrutiny, gave a reporter a potato chip bag stuffed with money Wednesday following a marketing campaign occasion, a present her lawyer later insisted wasn’t an tried bribe.
Greco’s legal professional, Steven Brill, instructed The Related Press that the state of affairs was being “blown out of proportion.”
Requested why Greco wished to make such a gesture to Honan, Brill stated, “She knows the reporter and is fond of her.”
The Metropolis stated it interviewed Greco later Wednesday and he or she apologized, saying she made “a mistake.”
“I’m so sorry. It’s a culture thing. I don’t know. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I feel so bad right now,” Greco stated, in accordance with The Metropolis.
In response to the report of the bag stuffed with money, Adams’ reelection marketing campaign stated it had suspended Greco from additional work as an unpaid volunteer and that Adams had no prior data of Greco’s actions.
“We are shocked by these reports,” Adams marketing campaign aide Todd Shapiro stated. “Mayor Adams had no prior knowledge of this matter. He has always demanded the highest ethical and legal standards, and his sole focus remains on serving the people of New York City with integrity.”
A Metropolis Corridor spokesperson declined to remark Wednesday night time.
The Metropolis reported Greco had texted Honan to fulfill her inside a Entire Meals retailer after they each attended the opening of Adams’ marketing campaign headquarters in Harlem.
When given the chip bag, Honan at first thought Greco was simply giving her a snack and stated she couldn’t settle for it however Greco insisted, in accordance with the report.
Honan left and later found the cash, then referred to as Greco and instructed her she couldn’t settle for it and requested to provide it again. Greco stated they might meet later however then stopped responding, the report stated.
A textual content message despatched to a telephone quantity listed in public data for Greco was not instantly returned Wednesday night time.
Since she resigned as Adams’ director of Asian affairs final fall, Greco has sometimes been seen at Adams marketing campaign occasions. Earlier than her resignation, Greco had served as Adams’ longtime liaison with the town’s Chinese language American neighborhood. She was additionally a prolific fundraiser for Adams’ campaigns.
In February of 2024, federal brokers searched two properties belonging to Greco. Authorities didn’t clarify what the investigation was about, and Greco has not been charged with committing a criminal offense, however she was plenty of shut aides to Adams who resigned or had been fired amid the federal scrutiny.
The Metropolis has reported extensively on the investigation and Greco’s conduct, together with a marketing campaign volunteer’s allegations that Greco had promised to get him a metropolis job if he helped renovate her house.
A separate federal investigation into Adams led to a 2024 indictment accusing the mayor of accepting unlawful marketing campaign contributions and journey reductions from a Turkish official and others — and returning the favors by, amongst different issues, serving to Turkey open a diplomatic constructing with out passing hearth inspections.
A federal choose dismissed the case in April after the Justice Division ordered prosecutors to drop the costs, arguing that the case was interfering with the mayor’s capability to assist President Donald Trump’s crackdown on unlawful immigration.
— By DAVE COLLINS
Initially Revealed: August 21, 2025 at 4:27 PM EDT
