A super PAC backing the re-election of Mayor Eric Adams is taking aim at Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo — blasting the pair of City Hall hopefuls for being soft-on-crime in new digital ads, The Post has learned.
The 15-second ads bankrolled by Empower NYC claim that both Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee, and Cuomo, who is running as an independent, are peas in a pod when it comes to public safety.
“Who is helping criminals the most?” the narrator in one of the ads says.
“Cuomo paroled 24 cop killers. Mamdani says, ‘Shut down the jails,’” the clip continues. Cuomo passed dangerous bail reform. Mamdani said, ‘Dismantle the Police Department.’
“Cuomo and Mamdani have lots in common with each other. Nothing in common with you.”
A second ad shows an image of the former governor and the Democratic socialist Queens assemblyman as two sides of the same coin.
“His liberal bail reform laws let repeat offenders back on the streets and slashed funding for cops,” the clip claims about Cuomo, who signed New York’s controversial 2019 bail reforms into law.
“Mamdani wants to fire police officers,” the narrator adds.
The release of ads came a day after President Trump signed an executive order threatening to cut funding to states and cities with cashless bail laws for most “non-violent” crimes, like New York.
Cuomo has faced backlash for approving the initial bail reform law, which his successor Gov. Kathy Hochul, has since rolled back. Police unions have also attacked the Cuomo-appointed state Parole Board for granting release to convicted cop killers.
Facing criticism over his anti-law enforcement stances, Mamdani backed off prior statements he made years ago calling for “defund the police.”
Cuomo, now running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, has said he would add 5,000 police officers to the NYPD force if elected mayor.
Abe George, founder and CEO of Empower NYC, said six figures were being spent on the social media ads, with the aim to compare Adams’ public safety record with Mamdani’s words and Cuomo’s deeds as governor.
The super PAC has raised more than $1 million, including from well-heeled donors in the cryptocurrency industry.
“We want to let voters know who is the strongest candidate on crime. That’s Eric Adams,” said George, a prominent attorney.
“Cuomo is trying to redefine what his public record is. Bail reform approved by Cuomo is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation for public safety.”
Cuomo campaign spokesman Richard Azzopardi fired back, “Mamdani has proudly run on defunding the police, handcuffing them from responding to domestic violence calls, and sponsors legislation decriminalizing prostitution.
“Eric Adams, however, is the first mayor in history to be federally indicted for bribery and is getting sued by his former police commissioner and other top brass for running a criminal enterprise out of the NYPD. He is not the law and order candidate and is the reason why the rank and file of the NYPD are demoralized and are leaving in droves at the expense of public safety.”
“Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams are clinging to the politics of the past and their failed, corrupt records. While the Cuomo-Adams humiliation rituals continue — and they beg for support from Donald Trump and his MAGA billionaire allies, Zohran is focused on delivering bold ideas to deliver a more affordable New York City and genuine public safety for all,” said Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec.
Another pro-Adams group — Protect the Protectors — has called thousands of voters to rip Cuomo and praise the incumbent mayor.
The pro-Andrew Cuomo Super PAC Fix The City raised a whopping $1.26 million last week— the largest weekly haul for the group since the June Democratic primary.
Mamdani is the clear front-runner to win the mayoralty after defeating Cuomo in the primary, which Democrat Adams skipped. Recent polls show Mamdani with double digit leads over Cuomo, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and Adams, who places fourth.
