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Mayor Eric Adams admitted Friday that he was lobbied by former City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on behalf of the Brooklyn Nets before he granted exemptions from the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate to local athletes — including their star Kyrie Irving.
“Corey reached out, clearly stated he was speaking on behalf of the Nets when he reached out,” Adams said.
“I received calls from people who were against, and for. That happens in the city.”
Adams’ remarks, during an unrelated news conference in Brooklyn, reversed his denial Thursday that he was lobbied ahead of his controversial move, which has come under fire from regular New Yorkers, the city’s municipal unions, editorial boards and even some fellow Democratic pols, including Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens), who replaced Johnson.
“I was not lobbied,” Adams claimed Thursday.
“I was speaking with both the teams in the city, as I do as the mayor all the time on the different issues. I heard all sides, and then I made the final determination.”
Adams held his Thursday news conference at Citi Field in Queens, which is home to the Mets and where he was surrounded by execs from both the Amazins and the Yankees.
The choice of venues raised eyebrows because the Mets’ billionaire owner, Steve Cohen, donated $1.5 million to the mayor’s PAC for last year’s election.
City records show that Johnson’s company, Cojo Strategies, was hired Feb. 8 for $18,000 a month by Nets General Counsel Jeff Gewirtz’ B-Cubed Holdings to lobby Adams and top City Hall aides regarding an executive order on health care policy.
Adams denied Friday that Johnson’s lobbying efforts, first reported by Politico, influenced his thinking regarding the order he signed Thursday.
“I said: Corey, like any other person, I’m going based what my doctors are stating,” he said.
“And so, the City Council’s thoughts, other individuals’ thoughts, that’s understandable. Eight-point-eight million people, 35 million opinions, you know? There are things the City Council speaker’s going to do, I going to disagree with.”
He added: “But she has a role as the City Council, I have a role as the mayor.”
In response to questions from The Post, Adams also denied that his order amounts to a double standard under which highly paid athletes can earn a living without getting vaccinated while regular New Yorkers remain subject to the mandate.
“No double standard,” Adams said.
“I made a decision based on the information that I received from my health team, and I have the obligation to make those decisions on how I’m going to move my city forward.”
Adams added: “I am clear that I am going to make the determinations for the city of New York as the mayor and I made that determination within the power vested in me as the mayor of the city of New York.”
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