Tony Herbert, 61, who served as City Hall’s liaison to New York City’s public housing residents under former Mayor Eric Adams, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges of bribery, kickbacks, and fraud. Herbert entered his plea in Manhattan federal court after his arrest and was released on $50,000 bail, the Associated Press reported.
The case extends the legal fallout from the Adams administration. A federal corruption case against Adams himself came to an end last spring when the Justice Department dropped it — a decision that led Danielle Sassoon, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, to resign her position rather than carry it out.
Prosecutors accused Herbert of giving unfair advantages to certain businesses in return for $16,000 in bribes, according to the AP.
“These charges are bogus. I was doing my job,” Herbert told reporters as he left the courthouse.
Adams, who dropped out of the election for New York City mayor, was replaced at the start of 2026 by Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist.