Ex-Adams Aide Indicted After Praising Charlie Kirk Killing; Feds Say He Pocketed About $36K in Bribery and Fraud

A former senior aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Tony (Anthony) Herbert, was arrested in Manhattan and federally indicted Tuesday on allegations that he ran three schemes that netted him roughly $36,000, prosecutors said.

Herbert, 61, a Brooklyn resident who previously served as a City Hall liaison to public housing residents, was taken into custody after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed an indictment outlining two alleged pay‑to‑play bribery schemes that occurred while he worked at City Hall and a separate alleged Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud from 2021.

Alleged Schemes And Proceeds

According to the indictment, prosecutors say Herbert accepted approximately $16,000 in cash bribes while employed by the city. Those payments allegedly came from two distinct schemes in which Herbert purportedly used his position to influence awarding of municipal business.

Tony Herbert was fired from his mayoral aide position in 2025 after posting controversial comments about Charlie Kirk.

In the first alleged scheme, Herbert accepted cash to help a private security firm secure city contracts with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), including security services at NYCHA developments. Prosecutors allege he advised and pressured other city officials to approve those contracts in exchange for payments.

In the second alleged scheme, Herbert is accused of steering payments under a financial assistance program meant to cover burial services for low-income families to a funeral home director. In return, prosecutors say the funeral director provided Herbert with “thousands of dollars in kickbacks.”

Separately, officials allege that in 2021—before he joined the mayor’s office—Herbert obtained approximately $20,418 by submitting a fraudulent PPP loan application for a fictitious baked goods business.

Charlie Kirk speaks at CPAC in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Charges, Potential Penalties And Official Statements

Herbert is charged with six federal counts in total: two counts of bribery and one count each of honest‑services wire fraud, federal program fraud, extortion, and wire fraud. Prosecutors say each count carries a potential statutory maximum prison term ranging from 10 to 20 years.

“As alleged, at a time when Anthony Herbert was serving as City Hall’s liaison to the City’s public housing residents, he engaged in blatant pay‑to‑play schemes to enrich himself,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement.

“It’s alleged Anthony Herbert used his position in the NYC Mayor’s Office to create a side hustle of bribery and fraud,” added IRS‑CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “He allegedly took advantage of his role to line his pockets by offering unfair advantages to certain businesses.”

Employment And Social Media Controversy

Herbert was removed from his City Hall post last year after posting comments on social media that appeared to praise the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. In an initial Facebook post he wrote, “You hit the nail right on the head or should I say racist!!” and later posted a video defending the remark, saying he did not regret it and adding, “Unfortunately, karma has come to collect.” Both the post and the video were later taken down.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is prosecuting the case following Herbert’s arrest. The indictment’s allegations are charges; Herbert is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.