New York Mayor Fires Aide Who Disparaged Police, Mayor

Chris Baugh, an aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in an image from video. Courtesy of Project Veritas

New York Mayor Eric Adams confirmed on Oct. 20 that he ordered the termination of Chris Baugh, an aide who was captured on undercover video disparaging police officers and Adams.

Adams, a Democrat, first said that he was willing to keep Baugh when Project Veritas released a tape showing Baugh disparaging him. But later a second video emerged featuring Baugh talking about police and other city workers who were fired for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

“The cops are mad at us though because we rolled back the private sector mandate but we’re not rolling back the public sector mandate,” Baugh told Project Veritas.

Adams in September rescinded vaccine mandates for private workers and student-athletes but decided to keep the one for city workers, including officers.

Of the 1,400 workers who were fired, Baugh said, “They don’t deserve their jobs back.”

“They chose not to do a very, very harmless thing that protects the rest of society. [Expletive] them,” he added. “I don’t give a [expletive]. They are like, ‘This is unfair.’ [Expletive] deal with it. We’re allowed to set the terms of employment. Period.”

“The first tape, we saw Christopher say disparaging remarks about me. The team came to me and stated, you know what, are we getting rid of him? I said, no,” Adams told reporters during a press conference. “People crap on me every day. You got to be thick-skinned. But when you have disparaging remarks about first responders, it’s unacceptable. It’s not tolerated.”

Adams said he gave Baugh a second chance after the initial video was released, but once the second one was made public, he chose to terminate the aide.

“My team didn’t have to call me again. I said that’s not acceptable. I know what first responders went through,” Adams, a former officer, said.

Baugh could not be reached for comment.

He was approached by Project Veritas with recordings of his comments, which he made while being unaware he was being recorded, and declined to comment.

In the first video, Baugh talked about how states like Texas have been bussing illegal immigrants to Democrat-run cities including New York City.

The program “has proven effective,” Baugh said. “It’s flooded our city.”

He said that he wasn’t sure whether Adams “is capable enough to navigate” the crisis.

New York is a so-called sanctuary city, which vows to welcome illegal immigrants, but Adams has decried the program and called on the federal government to assist in housing, feeding, and transporting the new arrivals.