Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams attended the Sinai Awards celebration on Thursday night despite the recent arrest of his former chief of staff, Frank Carone, in a federal corruption case. The event was held at Casa Cipriani in New York City and hosted by Tablet magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Alana Newhouse.

Carone was taken into federal custody earlier Wednesday following an indictment alleging that he accepted $120,000 in bribes while serving as Adams’s chief of staff in 2022. Carone has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite this development, Adams appeared in good spirits at the awards ceremony, engaging with attendees, taking selfies, and offering greetings.

The Sinai Awards are an annual event recognizing individuals whose contributions have notably impacted culture, public discourse, American society, and Jewish life. The former mayor, known for his outspoken stance against antisemitism in New York City, was among several notable guests.

The evening’s honorees included a diverse group of figures such as singer Dionne Warwick; Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the United States Central Command; Larry Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia; Oliya Scootercaster, founder of Freedom News TV; Sam Levinson, creator of the television series “Euphoria”; and an Iranian protester known by the pseudonym “Morticia Addams,” who gained attention for burning an image of the late ayatollah with a cigarette.

Additionally, Larry Sanger, who departed from Wikipedia approximately two decades ago, was in the news on the day of the awards after being banned from editing the online encyclopedia. The ban followed allegations that he attempted to influence internal Wikipedia votes by soliciting input from external parties, a claim Sanger has denied.

While the unfolding corruption investigation has cast a shadow on Adams’s political circle, the former mayor’s active participation at the Sinai Awards underscored his continued engagement in public and cultural events.