A New York watchdog group is asking on New York Metropolis to undertake new disclosure guidelines for campaigns after NBC New York observed roughly $600,000 in 2025 Eric Adams marketing campaign funds made to LLCs with no obvious web sites or traceable CEOs.
As required, the Adams marketing campaign listed paid consultants on the Marketing campaign Finance Board’s “Observe The Cash” web site — however primarily based on the knowledge disclosed in some circumstances, the cash couldn’t be adopted very far.
“Who received the funds? What people received them?” requested John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany after NBC New York shared how quite a few searches of presidency databases, FEC filings, enterprise data and the online had failed to search out an precise ad-maker, pollster, or pundit linked to at the very least three companies paid by the Adams marketing campaign.
For instance, The marketing campaign paid $95,000 “for consulting and modeling providers” to “Abbott 17” – an LLC primarily based in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Based on a evaluation of Wyoming authorities data, Abbott 17 was created in Could 2025 – only one month earlier than then Mayor Adams launched his third occasion re-election bid on the steps of Metropolis Corridor. There isn’t a CEO listed on the Abbott 17 registration papers.
A Google search produces no web site for any US marketing campaign consulting agency with this title.
An NBC New York evaluation of Wyoming enterprise data reveals Abbott 17 is registered at 30 North Gould Road — a tiny, one-story constructing with an indication that reads “WYOMING CORPORATE OFFICE.”
The constructing has been the topic of reports reviews citing lots of of latest LLCs registered there – some legit and others not.
As a substitute of itemizing an precise CEO, some LLCs registered on the tackle – together with Abbott 17 – record “registered brokers” who will not be in command of the respective corporations, a observe which is authorized – however not useful if one is hoping to “comply with the cash” primarily based on publicly accessible info.
In 2025, Esquire journal – primarily based partially on knowledge evaluation by the Worldwide Consortium of Investigative Journalists – referred to as the North Gould Road constructing “a proliferation of nameless shell corporations.”
And Abbott 17 shouldn’t be the one agency on the Adams Marketing campaign payroll registered at this Wyoming tackle. An organization named Public Attraction, which the Adams marketing campaign mentioned was employed for petitioning, can also be registered on the constructing. In contrast to Abbott 17, Public Attraction does have a public web site however its CEO shouldn’t be named on it.
“That is extremely suspicious,” mentioned John Kaehny of the watchdog group Reinvent Albany. “As a vendor, you do not cover your identification from the New York Metropolis Marketing campaign Finance Board.”
Presently, disclosing a marketing campaign’s funds to an LLC with out naming the principals doesn’t violate the foundations, nor imply that any marketing campaign donations had been misspent.
“These expenditures are in compliance with CFB guidelines and rules. Their disclosure was reported in step with the marketing campaign’s submitting obligations below the legislation,” Adams Marketing campaign Legal professional Vito Pitta mentioned in a press release.
However Reinvent Albany thinks the expenditures might catch the attention of CFB investigators, who’ve subpoena energy and might request contracts or different proof that a marketing campaign’s cash has been spent on professional, approved campaign-related bills.
“Based mostly on the considerations raised by Channel 4’s reporting, Reinvent Albany urges New York Metropolis to require political campaigns to report the names of the human homeowners of shell corporations paid by campaigns,” John Kaehny mentioned.
Kaehny mentioned the general public ought to know the place marketing campaign contributions are actually going, whether or not a candidate receives public matching funds or not. (Eric Adams was denied matching funds in 2025.) These corporations haven’t any web sites or web presence, will not be registered to do enterprise in New York as required by legislation and two of them share the identical tackle at a infamous LLC farm in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Throughout a beforehand organized interview for a unique story, Mayor Adams’s 2025 marketing campaign supervisor Eugene Noh was in a position to determine one of many people behind one other murky LLC. “Fairfax Digital” was paid $500,000 by the Eric Adams marketing campaign, in keeping with their public filings.
“Fairfax Digital? Truly, Dr. Phil’s son, Jordan McGraw,” Noh mentioned.
With out inside data of the Adams marketing campaign, it could be tough to be taught that the son of superstar psychologist and Trump ally Dr. Phil McGraw had been paid half-a-million {dollars} to provide Eric Adams’ social media advertisements. NBC New York’s analysis might discover no hint of Fairfax Digital LLC in Texas, the place the Adams marketing campaign mentioned it was registered. And the corporate shouldn’t be named on an inventory of different LLCs linked to Jordan McGraw, who didn’t return NBC New York’s requests for remark Friday.
Eugene Noh mentioned he didn’t know why a number of the consultants had been utilizing untraceable LLCs and that he didn’t make hiring selections throughout his two months as marketing campaign supervisor earlier than the Mayor dropped out.
“A few of them had pre-existing relationships with the Mayor and their very own sort of outlined roles,” Noh mentioned, describing distributors together with Fairfax LLC.
NBC New York reached out to a number of present and former Adams marketing campaign officers.
Vito Pitta, marketing campaign Legal professional for Eric Adams 2025 mentioned Abbott 17 was employed for the providers of strategic advisor Chris Miles. Miles’s title was listed in a July 2025 Adams marketing campaign staffing announcement however doesn’t present up in any searches linked to an organization referred to as Abbott 17. NBC New York requested Miles’s contact info from the Adams marketing campaign however has not acquired it.
NBC New York additionally left a message for a political advisor named Chris Miles listed with a unique agency however didn’t instantly make contact.
Eric Adams’ former marketing campaign supervisor says the son of TV’s Dr. Phil McGraw was behind one of many LLCs (Picture: NBC New York)
Apart from Eugene Noh, Adams marketing campaign associates didn’t supply Jordan McGraw’s title, nor another title, when requested particularly who was in cost at Fairfax Digital. They declined to supply copies of any marketing campaign contracts with distributors. Pitta, the marketing campaign legal professional mentioned Fairfax Digital was employed to conduct evaluation, digital voter-targeting and produce marketing campaign communications.
NBC New York requested the Marketing campaign Finance board if they’d acquired any contracts between the Adams marketing campaign and the above LLCs that may include extra element. Up to now the CFB has declined to remark.
