At a campaign event in July, associates of Mayor Eric Adams were observed distributing red envelopes filled with cash to attendees, including journalists from Chinese-language media.
New York Times reporters noted these cash handouts on July 13 in Flushing, on July 18 in Chinatown, and again on July 27 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Supporters of the mayor presented the cash in traditional red envelopes, according to the Times.
This revelation follows an incident where City Hall adviser Winnie Greco was seen giving money to a city reporter.
Cash amounts typically ranged from $20 to $300, a common practice among Chinese journalists in New York. One anonymous reporter mentioned that organizers would distribute money with the unspoken expectation that reporters would write favorable pieces.
The Adams campaign asserted that they were unaware of any payments made to journalists.
Spokesman Todd Shapiro claimed, “Mayor Adams has no knowledge of this and has not tolerated it. He has not given permission for anyone to distribute cash or gifts to reporters. Such actions are inappropriate and unacceptable.”
During a Flushing event, organizer Steven Tin, director of Better Chinatown USA, was spotted handing a $50 bill in a red envelope to reporters from a Chinese news outlet.
Tin defended these actions as a “general practice” within Chinese culture, suggesting that it’s customary at press events.
He mentioned seeking reimbursement from the Adams campaign for expenses like water and banners but wasn’t clear about any reimbursement for cash distributions.
Neither Tin nor Better Chinatown responded to requests for comments.
Robert Mui, CEO of Sing Tao Newspapers, organized several meetings for Adams and leads a local journalist group covering New York-China relations. It’s worth noting that Sing Tao Newspaper is registered as a foreign agent with the Department of Justice.
Mui described the red envelopes as a way to cover expenses and a gesture of appreciation to “subsidize” reporters’ wages, claiming that without such payments, reporters would not write their stories.
He was unavailable for further comment.
Both Mui and Tin acknowledged that, despite seeming unethical in the U.S., gifting red envelopes is considered normal in China.
Greco, present at all three meetings in question, was involved in a later incident where she handed a reporter a red envelope with $300 hidden in a potato chip bag.
She attributed the misunderstanding to cultural differences.
Greco’s attorney, Steve Brill, echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that this practice reflects kindness rather than malice.
He commented, “What I think is important is that even if it’s an unusual practice here, it’s seen differently among Chinese Americans.” He emphasized that Greco’s intentions were friendly, not inappropriate.
Interestingly, Greco and Mui traveled to China with the mayor in 2014.
Mui is also behind the annual Asian American Parade in Midtown, which Greco helped organize and was approved by Adams in 2021.
Greco resigned from her role as the mayor’s director of Asia Regional Affairs in October 2024 amid multiple federal investigations and scrutiny regarding her connections with Chinese citizens over time.
