NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who would step in as interim mayor if Mayor Eric Adams were to step down, has accepted political contributions from a businessman mentioned in Adams’ indictment for allegedly orchestrating illegal donations, according to reports.
During Williams’ re-election campaign earlier in 2024, he received $5,000 in donations from Brooklyn construction contractor Tolib Mansurov, according to city campaign finance records obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
Mansurov, the executive director of the Silk Road Foundation, a nonprofit that provides services to Central Asian New Yorkers, is a key figure in New York’s Uzbek community, and has been accused of funneling illegal contributions to Adams during the 2021 mayoral campaign, according to the indictment unsealed last week.
Mansurov allegedly received favors from Adams, including helping lift a stop-work order on a stalled 56-unit luxury condo project. He has also been involved in organizing cultural events for the Uzbek community with local officials including Adams and Williams.
The indictment against Adams alleges that Mansurov illegally reimbursed four of his employees for donations to Adams’ 2021 campaign and that Adams later assisted him with various favors. While Mansurov hasn’t been charged, records show his donations have only gone to the campaigns of Adams and Williams.
A spokesperson for Williams confirmed with 1010 WINS that the public advocate met Mansurov through his involvement with the Uzbek community. “We were unaware of his donations to the mayor and have no specific reason to believe the contribution to the public advocate was improper, but the campaign will closely review the donation to ensure both ethical and legal compliance,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Williams has called the Adams indictment a difficult moment for the city, expressing concerns about the mayor’s ability to lead effectively while facing serious charges. Speaking to WINS last week, Williams, as the city’s watchdog and potential interim mayor, highlighted the importance of maintaining stable governance.
“The focus has to be on making sure that there’s a continuity of government. What we heard today is very serious, what was laid out was really damning,” Williams said. “As the first in the line of succession, you know, I’m also careful on how I speak about this. But I do hope the mayor is considering what’s best for New York City.”
He acknowledged the gravity of the indictment, saying, “The scope of what’s being alleged is not something that I anticipated,” adding that Adams must quickly show he’s capable of governing while under indictment. “It’s the Southern District’s job to prove a case, and it’s the mayor’s job to try to regain that trust and put a plan forward,” Williams said, adding, “I think that window’s closing really rapidly.”
Williams confirmed there is a plan in place if he has to take over for Adams but stressed that it’s not something he ever wished for, calling it “destructive” for the city.
Mansurov’s donations to Williams aren’t new, the WSJ found. He contributed $10,000 to Williams’ gubernatorial campaign in 2022 and another $2,100 to his re-election campaign for public advocate in January 2024. Two of Mansurov’s employees also donated $2,900 to Williams on the same day, according to the records.
In March, Williams co-hosted a Ramadan Iftar event with the Silk Road Foundation, the nonprofit Mansurov leads, and later tweeted about the event.
1010 WINS has reached out to Williams’ office for a comment.
Federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they might bring additional charges against Adams and indict others in the corruption case against him.
Prosecutors made the disclosure during a hearing for Adams days after he was was indicted on charges that he accepted about $100,000 worth of free or deeply discounted flights, hotel stays, meals and entertainment on international trips that he mostly took before he was elected mayor, when he was serving as Brooklyn’s borough president.
Prosecutors say the travel perks were arranged by a senior Turkish diplomatic official in New York and Turkish businesspeople who wanted to gain influence with Adams. The indictment alleges that Adams also conspired to receive illegal donations to his political campaigns from foreign sources who weren’t allowed to give money to U.S. political candidates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.