Eric Adams campaign aide claims bag of cash she handed to journalist was ‘birthday gift’

A former longtime aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave a bizarre explanation for why she reportedly gave a reporter cash in a potato chip bag, the New York Post reported.

Adams is running as an independent for a second term as mayor after Democratic Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic nomination for mayor of the Big Apple in the June 24 primary, beating out former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York and other candidates. Winnie Greco, who allegedly gave The City reporter Katie Horan an envelope hidden in an empty potato chip bag that contained a $100 bill and multiple $20 bills, claimed the money was a “birthday gift,” according to the Post.

🚨 BREAKING: Eric Adams adviser Winnie Greco has been suspended from his re-election campaign after giving a journalist cash stuffed in a potato chip bag.

She later apologized, calling it “a culture thing.” pic.twitter.com/rEPqmcyRld

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 21, 2025

“I didn’t know how much in my envelope because it’s my birthday gift, that’s Chinese culture,” Greco claimed. “Somebody give me my birthday gift, I made big mistake. I’m so sorry. Talk to my lawyer.”

The FBI raided Greco’s home in February 2024 as part of an investigation into Adams’ ties with the government of Turkey. Adams was indicted in September 2024 on charges of receiving illegal campaign donations, bribery and wire fraud.

The Trump administration later sought to dismiss the charges against Adams, prompting several resignations from the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The indictment was dismissed in April.

Greco also accused Horan of trying to “hurt” her when interviewed by the Post.

“If somebody want to hurt me because I have love to my community, and I have love to the world, to my family, my people, and somebody try to hurt me, I cannot say nothing,” Greco said.

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