Posted on Mar 3, 2022

Rudy Giuliani challenged Mayor Eric Adams to use his “political capital” by publicly challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul to tighten up the state’s controversial “no cash” bail law.

Giuliani said Adams is letting fellow Democrat Hochul off the hook as she runs for election to keep the governorship — a position the former lieutenant governor only assumed after three-term Andrew Cuomo was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations.

At the state Republican Party convention in Garden City on Tuesday, former two-term Republican mayor Giuliani said Adams needs to quit “playing politician” and stop “being two-faced” on bail reform.

“If you’re really interested in bail reform, you go up against your governor, even though she’s a Democrat,” said Giuliani.

Hochul thus far has refused to budge on toughening up the law that eliminates cash bail for defendants accused of criminal misdemeanor and most “non-violent” felony crimes pending trial.

Adams also made the trek up to Albany in early February asking top Democratic legislative leaders state Sen. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester) and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-The Bronx) — to amend the bail reform law.

He wants to give judges the ability to consider the “dangerousness” of a defendant when it comes to making determinations about setting bail and the release of individuals accused of crimes.

But Adams was told in no uncertain terms that the idea was dead on arrival.

“A mayor has responsibilities beyond his party … He knows enough to know that the bail laws of Cuomo is one of the main reasons that there are as many as 8,000 to 10,000 more criminals on the street that shouldn’t be there,” Giuliani said.

“If you want a simple explanation of the crime problem in New York, that’s the simple explanation.”

Giuliani, when he was mayor in the 1990s, sparred with Adams over police brutality. At the time, Adams was a transit cop who founded 100 Black Men in Law Enforcement and sought changes in the NYPD.

He backed the Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa last year but gave Adams kudos during the Democratic primary for his focus on crime and safety.

“You change those bail laws, you’ll save black lives. You keep the bail laws the way they are, and he’s gonna continue to have black people killed,” Giuliani said.

The former tough-on-crime mayor said Adams must use the maximum “political leverage” he has during his first year in office to persuade Hochul and the legislature to act.

“Imagine if the mayor of New York came out against her? That’s what I’d tell her. I’d tell her, `Look my party is bull crap compared to the good of the people in New York. You don’t change that bail law or I don’t know, maybe I’ll support one of those Republicans like I supported Giuliani,” he said.

Adams, who was once a Republican, backed Giuliani’s re-election for mayor in 1997.

“I can’t imagine how he goes to sleep at night and he has more crime than de Blasio,” Giuliani said.

“The mayor has been clear that he wants to work with the governor, the Legislature, our district attorneys, and anyone else willing to focus on the public’s safety. This is not just his agenda, but New York City’s agenda,” said Fabien Levy, press security for Mayor Adams.

“Three-in-four city residents want action on crime, so we are taking action to do that. It’s time we all work together to keep New Yorkers safe.”

Original post: https://nypost.com/2022/03/02/rudy-giuliani-tells-eric-adams-to-take-on-gov-hochul-to-make-nyc-safe-again/

Article image: Matthew McDermott

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