Mayor adams uses taxpayer-funded crypto trip to fundraise — with help from nyc’s top tech official

Mayor adams uses taxpayer-funded crypto trip to fundraise — with help from nyc’s top tech official


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Winner winner, crypto dinner! Mayor Eric Adams used his taxpayer-funded Las Vegas trip to a bitcoin convention to fill his campaign coffers with regular cash from crypto bros — with help


from the city’s top tech official, The Post has learned. Hizzoner hosted the exclusive luncheon Wednesday afternoon at a seemingly unexclusive chain restaurant on the strip, where attendees


were encouraged to max out their contribution limit, according to the invitation obtained by The Post. Ahead of the fundraising lunch in the Calabria banquet room at Maggiano’s Little Italy,


the Big Apple’s Chief Technology Officer made his case to the crowd about how New York City wants to embrace decentralized tech and digital currencies. “When New York City looks at crypto,


blockchain and bitcoin, we don’t see it as an evolving technology, we see it as a necessary tool like running water,” Matt Fraser said, introducing Adams, according to a stream of the DNA


House event. Adams continued the Big Apple’s pro-tech pitch to industry leaders, declaring, “We are open for business.” EXPLORE MORE “I think the communication that is coming out of


Washington and New York City is a synergy that we are going to get this done,” he continued. As the mayor wrapped, a QR code flashed on the screen behind him, advertising his campaign donor


drive at the corporate Italian eatery, “Lunch with Mayor Eric Adams,” according to the video. The pair’s pro-crypto speeches to the crowd — who were then immediately tapped for campaign


donations — further blurred the lines between Adams officials’ Big Apple duties and the mayor’s longshot re-election bid. Bitcoin billionaire and child actor Brock Pierce then jumped up on


stage and instructed all those who have donated to head to the back of the room to get their seats for the luncheon. “We’re going to have a quick lunch and then continue with our regular


scheduled programming,” Pierce said. Another organizer then followed up with the crowd, urging them to make a “suggested donation” as indicated on the QR code. The barcode redirects people


to the NYC Campaign Finance Board’s donation page, where two donation options are prepopulated: $2,100 or “other.” It was unknown how many people attended the lunch or how much money was


raised. Adams gave a pro-crypto speech earlier in the day at the main Bitcoin conference at The Venetian and spoke to the crowd again during the DNA House two-day event later in the evening


— both of which were on the mayor’s public schedule. But the speeches by Fraser and Adams at Maggiano’s Little Italy, both seemingly speaking in their official capacity to kick off the


fundraiser, were not publicly disclosed. The invite states the lunch was paid for by the mayor’s reelection campaign and hosted by Pierce. Campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro insisted that


Fraser “attended a blockchain conference in his official capacity and introduced the Mayor at that event only.” “This was a professional engagement, unrelated to any campaign activity,” he


added. City Hall press secretary Kayla Mamelak insisted that the pro-crypto speeches and the fundraiser were separate events, indicating that Fraser was speaking in an official capacity. She


added that Fraser did not have anything to do with the fundraiser after and that City Hall will work with the Conflict of Interest Board if any reimbursements from the campaign are


necessary. Pierce told The Post he sees an untapped slate of voters in the crypto community that has recently embraced the mayor.  “The crypto community loves Eric Adams all of a sudden and


he got to follow Vice President JD Vance to speak before 30,000 people at the largest crypto conference,” Pierce said.  “What Eric Adams has done is not only good for New York City the


country, he’s made this into a national race [for mayor].” Adams has started to restart fundraising for his reelection bid since his historic criminal case was killed last month, with the


latest campaign filing showing a haul of $155,000, nearly five times the prior period. But even after moving off the Democratic line in the race, Adams has largely stayed off the traditional


campaign trail. Instead, he’s opted to use the bully pulpit in City Hall to pitch his record to New Yorkers. That strategy has yet to gain much traction with voters. The latest


PIX11/Emerson poll still had Adams’ approval rating at historic lows of 19%.