Looking For A Dog? Kamillah Hanks Loses All Her NYC Political Friends
Commentary On a Staten Island Council Member's Dramatic Self-Destruction
By M. Thomas Nast
In New York City politics, allies can be as fleeting as the seasons. Staten Island Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks seems to have taken to heart an age-old adage: "Nobody need want a friend who can get a dog."
Attributed variously through history, from Lord Byron to Harry Truman and Carl Icahn, this saying rings particularly true for Hanks, whose political landscape has become barren of allies. Sources say Hanks is in the market for a new dog. She must be because she’s done her best to make herself toxic with all of her “political friends.”
The latest group to jump ship is the SI GOP. Before, Hanks was tolerable and preferable because she could carry the minority party’s needs to the “Machers” in city government.
Not so anymore.
Hanks' journey from a promising political figure to an isolated council member is a tale of ambition, missteps, and stark alienation. At the heart of her political quagmire is her staunch support for the "How Many Stops Acts" law, which increases administrative paperwork on police street stops, a stance that significantly soured her relationship with Mayor Eric Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams.
A well-known NYC Democratic consultant quipped, "If she wants help from an Adams, she'd better have a séance with John and Abigail," highlighting her complete estrangement from current city leadership.
The consequence of her advocacy for policing reform and other contentious stances has led to a dramatic reduction in her political influence. Once chairing the powerful Public Safety Committee, Hanks now finds herself relegated to the head of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sittings, and Dispositions.
This demotion has diminished her sway within the council and made her the subject of ridicule. The position has earned her the moniker "the bullshit queen of naming things," according to a disillusioned council insider.
The fallout with law enforcement, notably the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), marks one of the most significant blows to Hanks' political career.
"She's turned her back on us, and there's no going back," a representative from the PBA declared, signaling a definitive end to what could have been a fruitful alliance. “We have great relationships with all the Staten Island elected officials from Mike [McMahon] and Vito [Fossella] down. We even had a working relationship with Debi Rose that furthered community engagement and good police work. What this woman is doing is out of control. The Blue doesn’t forget,” the source said.
The PBA's disapproval is a critical setback. As another political consultant succinctly said, "In Staten Island politics, losing the PBA's backing is political suicide. You can’t expect to be Anti-Cop and win an election."
Hanks' alliance with Councilman Yusef Salaam, particularly their united front on virtue signaling and NYPD harassment, has further alienated her from critical segments of the political and law enforcement communities. Critics have labeled them "two peas in a pod," pushing agendas that many believe undermine the effectiveness of police work.
"Their personal history does nothing to assuage concerns about their anti-police agenda," a law enforcement critic observed, highlighting the depth of the disdain towards their partnership.
An incident that vividly illustrates Hanks' estrangement from her political peers involved Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli. A few weeks ago, the NYPD did a "ride-along" before the Mayoral Veto override vote. Staten Island Councilman and Minority Leader Joe Borelli was in the parking lot by the NYPD precinct motor pool. Hanks showed up. "What the fuck is she doing here?" Borelli said.
Hanks went on the ride-along. The next day, she still shoved the veto override up the mayor and the NYPD’s petard.
The political change is that no love is lost because Hanks can't longer carry the SI GOP's water in City Government. Hanks is of little political use to Republicans. “She is the poster child for what is wrong with this borough,” said a source close to State Senator Lanza’s office.
Just weeks before, Borelli was threatening a Republican media consultant at a public GOP event because he dared to try to earn fees doing work for Hank's third-party Russian Election-Day opponent, who had more of a shot at becoming the next President of Ukraine than the next NYC Councilman for the Staten Island North Shore. Borelli had this consultant, who had previously done work in numerous city-wide races for Republicans, up against the wall and scolded him. Oh, how the political winds have changed.
Eric Adams' Ship of Fools
Hanks' political maneuvers have also led to public confrontations and the loss of natural allies. Her refusal to support the county's nomination of Debi Rose for the NYC Board of Elections Commissioner sparked a feud with SI Dems Chair Laura Sword, alienating her from a significant portion of her Democratic base. The move was politically foolish for Hanks because she could have put Debi Rose on "political ice" at the Board. Instead, Rose can get behind another candidate in 2025, where there is sure to be a primary.
"Laura said Hanks should carry her own fucking petitions," a Democratic Committee member disclosed, underscoring the bitterness of their fallout.
NYS Senator Jessica Spanton was the Hanks-Sword go-between for a time. That stopped because Spanton can't trust Hanks. Details of a deal between Hanks’ boyfriend, Kevin Barry Love, and Assemblyman Charles Fall for a 2024 Primary of Spanton by Fall’s girlfriend, Bianca Rajpersaud. Sources say the deal is that Hanks wouldn’t get primaried by Fall’s people in 2023 or 2025, and Fall’s “gumada” would get a shot at Spanton’s seat. Hanks would stay out of the way. Now, Spanton can’t trust Hanks or Love.
Former NYS Senator Diane Savino, now special assistant to Mayor Adams, and Hanks are good friends. But Savino has had to distance herself from Hanks of late. Not only because of the “back-stabbing” gumada compact revelations about Spanton, Savino’s protégé, but also because of Hank’s position with labor and the NYPD. Savino must support the PBA and Adams, and Hanks has made any collaboration impossible.
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, though maintaining a professional facade, has expressed private concerns about Hanks and her partner's business practices. A source close to the Congresswoman’s office says that Nicole does “what she has to” with Hanks as a fellow elected official but that the Congresswoman has gotten calls from the business community about Hanks and Love.
“They don’t pay their bills, and it’s hard to fight for Small Business day in and day out if you willingly partner with deadbeats,” the source said.
The actions of seasoned political operatives from Hanks' team, such as Paul Casali and Michael Arvanites, also signal a lack of confidence in Hanks’ leadership and direction. Casali departed the council office for a New Jersey campaign. Arvanites lists himself prominently as a CUNY Trustee, minimizing his role as Hanks’ Communications Director on his LinkedIn page. Their actions are more than just staff shuffle or personal promotion; it's an indictment of Hanks' dwindling influence and the perceived toxicity of her political brand.
Amid these controversies and challenges, Hanks faces an uphill battle to regain her footing and restore her tarnished reputation. Once a platform for her ambitions, the NYC political scene now serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of her political miscalculations.
"She's a pariah," a GOP strategist declared, capturing the essence of Hanks' current predicament.
As Hanks navigates this storm of her own making, the advice about finding solace in a canine companion seems not just apt but prophetic. In a world where political alliances are fleeting, and one's standing can change with the wind, the loyalty of a dog might indeed be the most steadfast ally Hanks can hope for.
As a local political analyst wryly suggested, "She'd better start looking for that dog," it's a poignant commentary on the loneliness of political fallout and the enduring search for unconditional companionship in the face of adversity.
Once a figure of influence and promise, Hanks is now a testament to political capital's volatility and the price of estrangement. As she contemplates her next moves, perhaps in the company of a loyal four-legged friend, the political landscape of Staten Island watches and waits. The path forward is uncertain for Hanks, but one thing is clear: the dog she's reportedly seeking may be around much longer than her political career.
What do you think?
 | A guest post by
|