Phil Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety, skirted a question Tuesday about whether he believes he’s the subject of a federal investigation at his first public appearance since the FBI raided him and his two brothers.
“I think the New York Knicks are going to do great this year,” Banks said, with a tight smile. “I think the Knicks are going to do very well. Go New York, go New York, go.”
Banks made the comments following his keynote speech at the Police Athletic League fundraising luncheon Tuesday — nearly two weeks after FBI agents came to his Queens home, searching the residence and seizing his electronics.
Banks’ brothers, Schools Chancellor David Banks and Terence Banks, a former MTA supervisor-turned-government relations consultant, are also ensnared in the investigation. The feds are looking into whether Terence Banks was involved in any unregistered lobbying, sources previously told The News. His company, the Pearl Alliance, represents several companies with financial interests before his brothers’ agencies.
No one has been charged with any wrongdoing.
In his roughly half-hour remarks, Banks reflected on his career and ascent through the ranks of the NYPD. He said he was in retirement in Florida “playing some golf, smoking some cigars” when he was tapped by Mayor Adams to join the administration at the beginning of Adams’ term.
“He asked me three times,” Banks said at the luncheon. “He says, ‘Hey, Phil, come and work in my administration.’ And he said this before the election because he was pretty confident that he was going to win.”
“He asked, I’m coming back.”
Dozens of lawyers and law enforcement officials were in attendance at the 35th-floor event.
Banks opined on the future of public safety and law enforcement, even saying that he’d give his phone number to event attendees so they could reach out to him with their ideas and suggestions for the city.
“That’s basically, what the Office of Public Safety, the deputy mayor of public safety, is: Take all these agencies and have them talk to one another,” he said. “Because you’d be surprised — they don’t.”
Originally Published:
