Overview

• The City reporter Katie Honan says Winnie Greco pressed an open bag of Herr’s sour cream and onion chips into her hands after a Harlem campaign event and a red envelope inside contained at least one $100 bill and several $20 bills.
• Honan tried to return the money, then alerted her editors, who notified the NYC Department of Investigation; federal prosecutors in Brooklyn contacted the outlet’s lawyers and investigators later took possession of the bag and cash.
• Adams’ reelection campaign said Greco holds no position and suspended her from all volunteer activities, adding that the mayor had no prior knowledge of the encounter.
• Greco apologized in interviews and her attorney called the money a cultural gesture of friendship and gratitude, a characterization rejected by newsroom leaders concerned about press integrity.
• Greco resigned from City Hall in 2024 after FBI searches of her properties during wider probes tied to Adams’ 2021 campaign, and no criminal charges related to this latest incident have been announced.