A Harlem woman accused of recruiting elderly residents of her housing complex to give illegal donations to Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct Tuesday, according to a copy of the signed plea agreement obtained by Gothamist.
Millicent Redick is not expected to face any jail time, as long as she follows the court’s conditions, the agreement states.
Last year, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Redick and five other people with allegedly conspiring to collect donations from people who would later be reimbursed, also known as straw donations. The goal, according to prosecutors, was to collect donations small enough to qualify for New York City’s public matching program, which gives candidates $8 in taxpayer funds per every dollar they raise from city residents below a certain threshold.
Redick’s guilty plea comes as Adams faces a multi-count federal indictment alleging that he accepted bribes and illegal contributions during his 2021 mayoral campaign. It also follows several guilty pleas in the Bragg case, including retired NYPD inspector Dwayne Montgomery and three businessmen accused in the scheme. Prosecutors dismissed charges against one other alleged co-conspirator, the Daily News reported.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA’s office declined to comment on the plea agreement, and Redick’s attorney did not immediately respond to a phone call Tuesday.
In a 32-page indictment, the DA’s office accused Redick of persuading senior residents of Esplanade Gardens to donate to Adams’ campaign. Then, prosecutors said, she bought more than $2,000 worth of money orders to reimburse the donors, which she paid for with checks from a businessman who was in on the scheme.
Redick admitted in the plea deal that between August and November 2021, she purchased money orders at various post offices with the understanding that those money orders would be submitted to Adams’ campaign under the names of people who didn’t actually donate their own money. She also admitted to asking those fake donors to fill out campaign contribution forms and later reimbursing them for their donations.
As part of the plea, Redick agreed not to host any political fundraisers or solicit any campaign contributions for a year. If she doesn’t follow the terms of agreement, she could be sentenced to up to 15 days in jail.
