Jesse Hamilton Resigns from DCAS after Indictment

Jesse Hamilton, a political protege of Mayor Eric Adams who oversaw the city’s office leases, has stepped down.

Hamilton resigned Thursday after being indicted on a conspiracy charge related to allegedly working with Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a former top aide to the mayor, to speed up certain developers’ projects and steer city contracts to preferred players. As deputy commissioner of real estate services for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Hamilton handled the city’s 400 leases at private properties, spanning more than 22 million square feet, though that responsibility was shifted away from him late last year.

In a statement, DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina said his agency’s focus is “unwavering.”

“DCAS is the backbone of city government, and bearing that weight has never fallen upon just one person,” he said. “Jesse Hamilton has tendered his resignation, and I’ve accepted it, effective today.”

Rafael Carvalho, formerly the chief of staff to the executive deputy commissioner for asset and property management, has been named acting deputy commissioner.

Hamilton joined DCAS in August 2022 as legal counsel and quickly rose through the ranks. The leasing deals he oversaw drew increased scrutiny after state officials seized his phone in 2024, along with those of Lewis-Martin and Cushman & Wakefield broker Diana Boutross as they returned from a trip together in September.

That fall, DCAS restructured its real estate division and reassigned the authority to execute leases to Shameka Overton, executive deputy commissioner for asset and property management, according to the agency.

The indictments released Thursday accuse Hamilton of playing a role in an alleged scheme that helped fast-track developer Yechiel Landau’s projects. He also allegedly tried to use his authority at DCAS to steer a city contract to a Queens apartment building that ultimately didn’t come to fruition. A separate indictment, which doesn’t name him as a defendant, also describes Lewis Martin directing Hamilton to prioritize property owners hand-picked by developer Tian Ji Li for city contracts for asylum seeker shelters.

Hamilton is named as a defendant in one indictment, but Lewis-Martin faces charges in all four indictments that were released Thursday. The two, along with six other co-defendants, have pleaded not guilty.

Earlier in his career, Hamilton worked as legal counsel to Adams when he was a state Senator. When Adams left the legislature to become the Brooklyn borough president, many saw Hamilton as his hand-picked successor. He served two terms representing the 20th District in Brooklyn.

In a statement, Adams, who is already facing a difficult path to re-election, emphasized that he has not been accused of wrongdoing and said his “commitment to New Yorkers is unwavering.” Federal corruption charges previously brought against the mayor were dropped in April.

“While Ingrid Lewis-Martin no longer works for this administration, she has been a friend and colleague for over 40 years, and I know her as a devoted public servant; she has declared her innocence, and my prayers are with her and her family,” the mayor said in a statement.

As for Hamilton, Adams noted his not guilty plea, adding, “like anyone accused, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.”