The news that an adviser to Mr. Adams, Winnie Greco, had attempted to pay a reporter from an online news outlet, The City, stood out as a bold departure from political norms. Ms. Greco had put a red envelope stuffed with cash inside a potato chip bag and slipped it to the reporter after a campaign event.
And journalistic!
In July, New York Times reporters witnessed other Adams supporters handing out red envelopes with cash at three separate campaign events: one in Flushing, Queens; another in Manhattan’s Chinatown; and a third in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. At those events, Mr. Adams picked up support from leaders of influential Chinese community groups, including several with close ties to the Chinese government.
...
Five days after the event in Queens, Chinese American community leaders held a rally at Confucius Plaza in Chinatown in Manhattan, where Times reporters again witnessed red envelopes being distributed. Then, on July 27, Times reporters saw more envelopes being passed out at the Sunset Park rally.
Robin Mui, the chief executive of the Sing Tao U.S. newspaper, was among the organizers of the Manhattan rally. Mr. Mui made at least one trip, in 2014, to China with Mr. Adams and Ms. Greco.
Mr. Mui, who also heads a local Chinese journalists’ group, told The Times that reporters received red envelopes from Adams supporters at last month’s events as a “form of appreciation” to cover transportation expenses and to “subsidize” their salaries. Mr. Tin “had to” give the reporters cash, he said; “otherwise they don’t write their stories.”
Why didn't the NYT consider any of this newsworthy for a month? I'd bet a 50% stake in Eschaton World Industries that they were trying to catch Mamdani doing similar.