His fight carries on after Jan. 6

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With help from Jason Beeferman

For Michael Fanone, a former police officer brutalized three years ago by the mob that descended on the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6 itself isn’t what causes distress.

“It’s everything that happened afterwards,” Fanone said in an interview. “Imagine the most traumatic thing that ever happened to you, and then you’ve got to go around for years convincing people what actually happened.”

The anniversary of the attack comes for the first time in a year when Donald Trump — who inspired the insurrection — will be on the ballot.

Fanone is spending it as part of a pressure campaign on Trump allies, including North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, targeting her in an ad that was first shared with Playbook.

The former D.C. Metropolitan police officer, speaking over black coffee recently in Manhattan, is fatigued and hardened, but still working to wrestle back the narrative.

“I’d do it if I was the last person left fighting,” Fanone said. “I think it’s important that every institution in this country, every American, take the responsibility of upholding democracy seriously. And everyone needs to be doing everything that they can to ensure that a.) Donald Trump does not succeed and b.) the MAGA movement is extinguished.”

Fanone is the face of a 30-second TV ad — a six-figure buy by the Courage for America advocacy group — that will air in Stefanik’s 21st Congressional District beginning Saturday.

The spot features Fanone’s body camera footage from the Capitol riot. It opens with him stating, “Jan. 6, it was the closest that I ever came to dying.” Variations of the ad calling out other Republicans will air elsewhere in the country.

The New York version urges Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican, to oppose the “American Confidence in Elections Act,” which would impact how states administer federal elections. Courage for America and Democrats call it “the Big Lie Bill.”

Stefanik, a Trump acolyte who voted to overturn the 2020 election results, is one of the 127 co-sponsors.

“I don’t feel like she’s a true believer, but at the same time, I’m at the point now where enablers are the same as active supporters,” Fanone said.

Stefanik has condemned the violence of the Jan. 6 attack, but she also filed a complaint last month alleging judicial misconduct by a federal judge overseeing some Jan. 6-related cases. A rising star in her party, Stefanik is expected to easily win reelection this year.

Stefanik’s team said she’s steadfast on the election measure.

“The vicious left continues their deranged obsession with Elise Stefanik and they are literally lighting money on fire with this desperate ad,” said Stefanik senior adviser Alex deGrasse. “Elise will never waiver in her commitment to secure our elections.”

On Jan. 6, 2021, Fanone was beaten with a Blue Lives Matter flagpole and had a Taser used on his skull. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and a heart attack.

“I’ve seen what Donald Trump’s supporters are capable of firsthand,” he said. “And I recognize that anger because it existed inside of me in 2015, 2016.”

Fanone said he supported Trump then but plans to vote this year for President Joe Biden. He identifies as neither Democrat nor Republican.

“I’ve always been independent-minded,” he said. “I tell people all the time, like, I’m just an American.” — Emily Ngo

HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.

WHERE’S KATHY? Addressing the Long Island Association’s State of the Region and unveiling her fourth proposal for the 2024 State of the State.

WHERE’S ERIC? Speaking at El Museo del Barrio’s Three Kings Day Parade Breakfast, calling in to “The Reset Talk Show” on Good Music, Good Times LIVE, making an announcement with Gov. Kathy Hochul and presenting proclamations to a city sanitation chief and an MTA bus driver.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I do ride the subway. And I’m not always with police protection.” — Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on PIX11, answering a charge against him by Mayor Eric Adams in their new feud.

ABOVE THE FOLD

ADAMS V. THE BUSES, PART 2: The Adams’ administration is suing 17 Texas charter bus companies in his latest move to thwart Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s policy of bussing thousands of migrants from his state’s border to New York City, POLITICO reports.

The federal suit argues the companies are violating a New York law against bringing “a needy person from out of the state into this state for the purpose of making him a public charge.”

Adams is seeking $708 million — what the city says it’s spent on housing the 33,600 migrants the bus companies have driven to New York.

Abbott called the suit “baseless” and unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, Adams is still trying to build regional support for his effort to block Abbott and the bus companies from transporting migrants without advance notice and at odd hours. The mayor said he spoke to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont about coordinating executive orders.

Hochul backed the effort Thursday, at an unrelated press conference, saying other localities should pass EOs like Adams.

And, in sweet music to the mayor’s ears, Hochul said she plans to go to Washington “in the near future” to talk about the impact of serving migrants on local budgets. — Jeff Coltin

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

COMPOSTPONED: Adams championed the expanded capacity of a Staten Island composting plant Thursday, but his sanitation commissioner also noted how severe budget cuts have stalled the progress of the city’s food waste initiatives.

Adams was eager to boast how curbside composting will be available citywide by October. The expansion of the facility’s capabilities will additionally enable the city to compost 210 million pounds and increase the facility’s capacity by nearly 2,000 percent.

But Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch reiterated that Adams’ budget cuts have delayed his administration’s ambitious composting goals.

Prior to the cuts, the Bronx and Staten Island were both supposed to have access to curbside composting by March, but now it’s expected to come in October with Manhattan’s composting launch, Tisch said.

Additionally, funding for composting at city farmers markets was also scrapped. Since then, private donors stepped in to save the initiative.

Curbside composting is already running every week in Brooklyn and Queens, and there are hundreds of orange composting bins across the city, Tisch said. She also said every public school cafeteria will be composting by the end of this school year. — Jason Beeferman

ADAMS DOES HAVE ALLIES: Three months into the war between Israel and Hamas, some pro-Israel Jews are taking out ads in the Orthodox press thanking Adams for his “unwavering and unequivocal support for Israel.”

Amid tough times and low poll numbers, the mayor has earned consistent praise — both publicly and in WhatsApp chats — from supporters of Israel for his public comments, statements and speeches at synagogues.

The full-page ad is funded by mostly real estate types, including Leon Goldenberg, Avi Schron and Peter Rubenwurzel.

It started running in the Flatbush Jewish Journal Thursday, and the funders plan to spend some $30,000 running it in more papers in the next couple weeks, real estate developer and political operative Bruce Teitelbaum told Playbook.

“He’s spoken out clearly and forcefully where others have not,” Teitelbaum said. “His other colleagues seem to have lost their voice.” — Jeff Coltin

More from the city:

— The UFT is suing to block congestion pricing, filing a federal lawsuit with Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. (City & State)

— Over 13,000 guns seized created “ripple effects” to curb rates of other felonies. (Daily News)

— What’s former Correction Commissioner Louis Molina’s new job? City Hall won’t say. (Queens Eagle)

— Adams wrote a book in 2009, that touched on every fear a parent could have about their child: gangs, drugs, sex, cyberspace. (Byline)

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

AI IN ALBANY: Business leaders in New York are warily eyeing how state officials will address artificial intelligence in the coming legislative session.

The Business Council of New York State will hold its first forum on the issue Feb. 6 in Albany in order to help the private sector assess both the potential benefits and pitfalls of deploying AI.

Business Council president Heather Briccetti Mulligan wants New York regulators and policymakers to tread lightly when developing rules for the rapidly expanding technology, which could have sweeping implications for industries like health care, finance and (gulp) journalism.

“You hope that they don’t come up with something that the industry takes a look at and says, well, we’re not going to invest there,” Mulligan told Playbook.

Mulligan does not want a repeat of how the state addressed blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, which she described as “ham-handed attempts to slow down the sector because they didn’t fully understand it.”

New York in some respects is behind states like California, where officials have already started to assess the need for AI regulations. That could create a patchwork of rules across the nation. But there’s also little expectation of federal action anytime soon.

“I also don’t think Congress is going to act in a short period of time that’s going to get us there,” Mulligan said. “I think the state needs to look at it and we can take advantage of AI.” — Nick Reisman

More from Albany:

— New York lawmakers are looking to tackle the influx of migrants in upcoming budget negotiations. (State of Politics)

— In a surprise move, the top Democrat on the Assembly Labor Committee will resign next Monday. (POLITICO Pro)

— Hochul said she will propose plans to curb infant and maternal mortality rates in upcoming State of the State address. (POLITICO Pro)

FROM THE DELEGATION

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR: Democrat Nancy Goroff has raised $614,000 since launching her campaign for the 1st Congressional District on Oct. 4, her team first told Playbook.

She’s hoping to take on Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in the eastern Long Island district, but will face a primary first. Goroff has $511,000 on hand, her campaign said. LaLota had $1 million on hand as of October.

Campaign finance filings from the last quarter are due Jan. 31, so early numbers will be trickling in all month. Keep an eye on Playbook. — Jeff Coltin

AROUND NEW YORK

— New Jersey considered $5 million to handle migrant influx but didn’t follow through, records show. (POLITICO)

— Over 7,000 Rochester residents will be left without power after National Grid replaces two aging transmission line structures. (Democrat and Chronicle)

— Long Island hospitals are advising visitors and staff to wear masks amid a rise in Covid-19, influenza and other respiratory illnesses. (Newsday)

SOCIAL DATA

IN MEMORIAM — A Rikers detainee died playing basketball, the first detainee death of 2024, officials say. (Gothamist)

MAKING MOVES — Former New York City Council Member Ari Kagan is now working part-time as a community representative for New York City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli. Kagan is also now public affairs director for Welcome Care. … Naomi Dann, former senior adviser to New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is joining Housing Justice For All as chief of staff. …

… Kana Smith is now deputy director of legislative affairs for Vice President Kamala Harris. She previously was deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), and is a Kai Kahele and Ed Case alum. … Felicia Park-Rogers is leaving the Tri-State Transportation Campaign where she was director of regional infrastructure projects. She is heading to the office of Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)'s to be district director.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: WSJ’s Nick Timiraos … David Bauder … John Solomon … Mandi Merritt Risko of FTI Consulting … Allison Biasotti of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office … former Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) (8-0) … Nash Jenkins … Tom Youngblood

(WAS THURSDAY): Ben Mayer … Andy Borowitz

Real Estate

— How much does a Hamptons mansion cost? These were the most expensive homes sold out east in 2023. (Newsday)

The newsletter has been updated with the response from Rep. Elise Stefanik’s office.