Top Adams administration officials in talks to join ex-chief of staff Frank Carone’s lobbying firm

Two more senior officials in Mayor Adams’ administration are in talks to join former City Hall chief of staff Frank Carone’s lobbying firm, the Daily News has learned.

Kevin Kim, the commissioner of the Small Business Services Department, and Joel Eisdorfer, a senior Adams adviser who has served as his liaison to the Orthodox Jewish community, started talking recently with Carone about taking on jobs at his lobbying outfit, Oaktree Solutions, once they’re officially out of city government next month, Carone said Friday.

Carone — who’s heading Adams’ reelection campaign in addition to running Oaktree — stressed there isn’t a “formal agreement” yet, but confirmed he has spoken to both Kim and Eisdorfer about positions at Oaktree.

“Anyone would be lucky to have either or both as they both have character, work ethic and loyalty,” said Carone, who founded Oaktree after stepping down as Adams’ first chief of staff in late 2022.

Two sources familiar with the matter told The News that Eisdorfer and Kim have been in conversations with Carone since early May and that they are expected to join his lobbying outfit. It’s unclear what their specific roles would be at Oaktree.

Eisdorfer and Kim didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

If Eisdorfer and Kim come on board, Carone’s firm — which is actively lobbying both city and state government officials — will be employing five Adams administration alums.

In addition to Carone himself, Gary Jenkins, Adams’ former commissioner of the Department of Social Services, and Ariel Palitz, the administration’s ex-“nightlife mayor,” joined Oaktree last year.

Under current law, city government officials are prohibited from lobbying — defined as “communicating for compensation” — their former agencies for two years after leaving public service. However, there are no restrictions on ex-city officials lobbying other parts of the municipal governments upon leaving.

City records show Carone’s firm is currently lobbying multiple city agencies, including the Buildings Department, on behalf of private interests in the real estate and hospitality sectors.

The pattern of top Adams administration officials migrating to Carone’s firm has unnerved some government ethics watchdogs, who say it creates a system incentivizing influence trading and pay-to-play politics. The fact that Carone’s heavily involved in raising money for Adams’ reelection campaign has heightened those concerns.

John Kaehny, executive director of the Reinvent Albany government watchdog group, said the plan for Kim and Eisdorfer to potentially join Oaktree underscores why lobbying laws need to be tightened.

“New York City has a revolving door problem with City Hall officials peddling influence and there needs to be a new law that prohibits lobbying the city for at least two years, if not more,” he said. “Because what they’re doing is cashing in on their access to the mayor and City Hall.”

Kim’s expected departure was first reported by PIX11 on Thursday. Eisdorfer’s exit was also first reported Thursday by The Forward.

“I’ll miss him day to day, but I’m happy he’ll keep working with us in new ways,” the mayor wrote on X in response to Eisdorfer’s planned resignation.