Mastro was cleared by town’s Battle of Curiosity Board to see by way of the Oakley case, Adams’ workplace stated. A onetime prime official within the Giuliani administration who has made a profession championing conservative causes in court docket, Mastro will work on the case on his personal time and received’t be compensated to signify MSG as soon as he assumes his position as first deputy mayor on Tuesday, Adams’ workplace added.
The choice by Mastro to remain on the MSG case additionally spotlights how his profession of representing particular pursuits might grow to be a headache as he joins Adams’ administration at a time of turmoil amid the mayor’s federal corruption indictment and surrounding scandals. In distinction, Adams’ workplace stated earlier this week Mastro is withdrawing because the lawyer for New Jersey within the state’s bid to kill the MTA’s congestion pricing program, one among many high-profile instances he not too long ago has labored on involving points impacting the 5 boroughs.
Mayor Adams. (Barry Williams / New York Every day Information)
Mastro’s non-public sector relationships grew to become a focus when Adams sought final 12 months to make him town’s company counsel, a publish he withdrew himself from consideration for after Metropolis Council Democrats affirmed they’d reject his nomination over issues about his authorized work and ties to ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In contrast to the corp counsel position, Mastro doesn’t want Council approval to function first deputy.
Oakley, who as an influence ahead on the Nineteen Nineties Knicks persistently ranked as top-of-the-line defenders within the NBA, filed the lawsuit in opposition to MSG and Dolan in 2017 over allegations that his public criticisms of Dolan led him to be unlawfully detained and ejected from a Knicks sport on the Midtown enviornment. Whereas Oakley maintains he was unlawfully focused, Mastro has argued on behalf of MSG that the ex-ball participant was thrown out for being unruly and getting right into a scuffle with safety guards.
On Thursday, Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak stated the Conflicts of Curiosity Board has knowledgeable Mastro he wouldn’t violate any legal guidelines by staying on the MSG case.
COIB Govt Director Carolyn Miller stated Thursday metropolis confidentiality legal guidelines preclude her from commenting on whether or not the board gave Mastro permission to remain on the MSG case.
Miller famous that Mastro is free to reveal any recommendation the board could have given him. He didn’t return a message in search of remark, and the mayor’s workplace wouldn’t launch Mastro’s communications with the board.
King & Spalding, the regulation agency Mastro’s a accomplice at however stepping other than whereas at Metropolis Corridor, has different attorneys assigned to signify MSG within the case. Mamelak stated it’s key for Mastro to remain on nonetheless as a result of he has represented MSG “for two decades and has been dedicated to this particular case for the past eight years.”
Whereas he stays MSG’s lawyer, Mastro — who appeared in Manhattan Federal Courtroom for a listening to within the Oakley case simply this previous Friday — will recuse himself from any issues referring to MSG which may come throughout his desk at Metropolis Corridor, she additionally stated.
Charles Oakley. (Christian Petersen/Getty Photos for BIG3)
Based on Mamelak, Mastro opted to proceed representing MSG within the Oakley case as a result of it’s within the strategy of concluding, and he doesn’t wish to abandon his consumer “at this final stage.”
Mamelak didn’t say why Mastro believes the case is about to be over. The court docket docket suggests it might drag on for no less than a number of weeks, because the choose has set a Could 9 deadline for submissions associated to texts Oakley despatched after his ejection from the Knicks sport.
Oakley’s legal professional, Valdi Licul, declined to remark.
John Kaehny, a longtime authorities ethics knowledgeable who leads the Reinvent Albany watchdog group, voiced outrage at Mastro’s continued MSG illustration and argued it doesn’t matter he’ll be unpaid.
“The job of first deputy mayor is the second most important job besides being the mayor and there’s certainly no room for divided interests and divided loyalties,” stated Kaehny. “The fact that he’s continuing to work for someone who is a major political player and donor with business before the city makes it even more vomitous. It is utterly, utterly unacceptable, obtuse and oblivious to the concerns of the time and underlines why he was a bad choice to be corp counsel and a bad choice to be first deputy mayor.”
MSG reps didn’t return messages in search of remark.
MSG holds intensive enterprise pursuits earlier than Adams’ administration and has spent tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in recent times on lobbying Metropolis Corridor on varied points. For example, MSG lobbied prime Adams advisers in 2023 on getting town to resume the particular allow the world must function; it secured a five-year allow.
MSG’s executives, together with Dolan, are main monetary backers of Adams’ campaigns and authorized protection belief, which he makes use of to cowl lawyer charges in his felony case.
James Dolan. (Ethan Miller/Getty Photos)
Apart from MSG and New Jersey, Mastro has in recent times represented varied huge company gamers with enterprise pursuits earlier than town, together with the Durst Group actual property agency.
Mamelak confirmed Mastro’s additionally recusing himself from as first deputy engaged on any issues associated to congestion pricing as a consequence of his illustration of New Jersey. She declined to instantly say whether or not Mastro is recusing himself from every other issues as a consequence of his non-public sector profession, arguing it’s “premature” to debate that.
Adams tapped Mastro for the No. 2 publish after his predecessor, Maria Torres-Springer, and three different deputy mayors resigned over issues in regards to the mayor’s means to guide town amid the Trump Justice Division’s controversial effort to drop his corruption case.
Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler, a Democrat who helped lead the cost in opposition to Mastro’s corp counsel nomination, stated the mayor permitting Mastro to maintain representing MSG provides another excuse to query his health to guide.
“This is precisely why the City Council was concerned about Mr. Mastro’s ability to disentangle himself from his powerful clients and serve in the best interests of the city,” Restler stated.
It is a growing story; examine again for updates.
Initially Printed: March 27, 2025 at 1:23 PM EDT
