Former NYC Mayor Adams blasts Mamdani amid Ken Griffin spat: "Stop dividing our city by demonizing success"
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is weighing in on the ongoing war of words between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and billionaire Ken Griffin.
Mamdani has made Griffin the poster boy for a tax-the-rich campaign, and included the location of Griffin's $238 million penthouse in a recent video promoting the proposed pied-à-terre tax.
Griffin said Mamdani's move may have put his life in danger.
"What really upset me about the video was the fact that he put me in harm's way," Griffin told CNBC. "You know, he seems to have forgotten that the CEO of another American company was assassinated just blocks from where I live in New York. And to put any citizen in harm's way is just inappropriate for one of our political leaders."
Griffin was referring to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mamdani "targeting his family outside their private residence"
Wednesday, Adams waded into the discussion, saying he'd been in touch with Griffin and "expressed my dismay over the mayor targeting his family outside their private residence."
Adams appeared to accuse Mamdani of a certain degree of hypocrisy.
"Coming from a modest upbringing, working hard, and achieving the American Dream should never make someone a villain in America. Yet that is exactly the message too many are sending today. It is especially troubling coming from politicians who grew up with every advantage imaginable, yet lecture working people and self-made business leaders about struggle and fairness," Adams wrote on social media. "New York has always been a city where people from humble beginnings could build something for themselves, create jobs, and give their children a better life."
Adams went on to say Mamdani "must stop dividing our city by demonizing success and those who invested in our communities and helped keep New York strong."
"Do not let irresponsible rhetoric drive you out of this city"
Griffin has suggested his company might not move forward with a planned $6 billion redevelopment of 350 Park Avenue in Midtown.
"Do not let irresponsible rhetoric drive you out of this city," Adams wrote.
CBS News New York has reached out to the Mamdani administration for comment about Adams' remarks.
Following Griffin's remarks earlier this week, a City Hall spokesperson had this to say:
"Mayor Mamdani wants all New Yorkers to succeed. That includes business owners and entrepreneurs who create good-paying jobs and make this city the economic engine of America. It also includes Ken Griffin, who is a major employer in our City and a powerful figure in our economy. That does not negate the fact, however, that our tax system is fundamentally broken. It rewards extreme wealth while working people are pushed to the brink. The status quo is unsustainable and unjust. If we want this city to become a place that working people can afford, we need meaningful tax reform that includes the wealthiest New Yorkers contributing their fair share."
