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Good Morning, New York! Speaker Heastie is warning of potential tax hikes to fund the MTA, prosecutors in Adams’ case disagreed that it was politically motivated, and Simcha Felder is heading back to the City Council. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Wednesday, March 26th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany with no publicly scheduled events.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule yet.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Internal messages reveal that prosecutors involved in Mayor Adams' case disagreed with claims that the charges had political motivations. These communications suggest that the legal team didn't believe the case was driven by anything other than the evidence. The messages offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the prosecutors' perspective amidst ongoing scrutiny of the case. (THE CITY)

— Is Elon Musk in NYC's crosshairs? City Council member Justin Brannan, a comptroller candidate, wants to divest NYC's pension funds from Tesla, citing Musk's actions harming the city. The funds hold an estimated $1.2 billion in Tesla stock. However, actually divesting is complicated and would require agreement from the city's pension boards, which is unlikely to come quickly. (Gothamist)

— One year after Officer Jonathan Diller's death, tensions are still running high. At a memorial mass, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch blasted the criminal justice system, saying Diller's alleged killer "should never have been on the streets." Diller's widow, Stephanie, also spoke, recalling the tragedy and the strength she's found to carry on. (NY Post)

Capitol Gains

— Get ready for a possible tax hike to bail out the MTA. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is warning that New York might need to raise taxes to fund the MTA. He's blaming the federal government, saying they aren't providing enough transit funding and are meddling too much, while Republicans still think New York's congressional delegation can secure funds for the state in the federal budget. (City & State)

— Long Island's National Grid workers are threatening to strike, and the clock is ticking! Represented by IBEW Local 1049, the union rallied with support from elected officials, citing stalled negotiations over salaries, healthcare, and pensions. National Grid claims the union's demands are too expensive, but the union insists they will strike if a deal isn't reached by March 28. National Grid supplies power to roughly 20% of NY households, so a strike could have damaging impacts. (Long Island Press)

— School administrators are pushing for more local control over a potential cell phone ban. The NY State United Teachers (NYSUT) union is pushing back, siding with Hochul on a complete ban. (State of Politics)

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Trail Mix

— Simcha Felder is heading back to the City Council. The Democratic state senator easily won the special election for Brooklyn's 44th Council District, grabbing over 80% of the vote. He's filling the seat vacated by Kalman Yeger and will face primary and general elections later this year. (NY1)

— Andrew Cuomo's super PAC has taken in $2.3 million in donations so far. Real estate bigwigs like Stephen Ross and John Fish are among the major contributors hoping to "Fix The City". Meanwhile, another super PAC is supporting his main opposition: lefty candidate Zohran Mamdani, though details on its funding are still under wraps. (NY Post)

— Remember that video of a politician swiping a campaign mailer? Joe Mastroianni, the Rotterdam board member caught in the act, just resolved his court case. He avoided jail time by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and paying $370 in fines, and will not step down from the board. (Times Union)

— Mike Lawler could have a crowded field of challengers in 2026, with Democrat Cait Conley recently announcing her candidacy for New York's 17th Congressional District. She joins Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson and Jessica Reinmann, while Effie Phillips-Staley and Neal Zuckerman are also rumored to be interested. This race is expected to be a hot one, with national implications for control of the House. (Mid-Hudson News)

— Joe Dinolfo is throwing his hat in the ring for New York State Supreme Court in the Seventh Judicial District. The longtime attorney and volunteer firefighter is running as a Republican and Conservative candidate. Dinolfo will be vying for one of two open seats in the November 2025 election. (FingerLakes1)