The reporter, Katie Honan, said she initially refused to take the bag of chips, but Greco had insisted. Honan told the New York Times that Greco had asked her at a campaign rally to meet across the street, where she was then handed the bag.

“I initially hoped it was a note, a tip, and then I looked and I go, ‘Oh my God, it’s money,’” she said.

Inside the bag, Honan said she found at least one $100 bill and several $20 bills. She then contacted Greco again and told her she wanted to return the cash.

“I can’t take this, when can I give it back to you,” Honan texted Greco, to which she received no response, according to the City. 

In a later interview with the outlet, Greco began to profusely apologize. 

“I make a mistake,” she said. “I’m so sorry. It’s a culture thing. I don’t know. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I feel so bad right now. I’m so sorry, honey.”

She then referred the news outlet to her attorney.

“I can see how this looks strange,” Greco’s attorney, Steven Brill, told the City. “But I assure you that Winnie’s intent was purely innocent. In the Chinese culture, money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude. Winnie is apologetic and embarrassed by any negative impression or confusion this may have caused.”

Adams’s campaign later confirmed that Greco was no longer working with the campaign.

“Grecco [sic] holds no position in this campaign and has been suspended from all VOLUNTEER campaign-related activities,” Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams’s reelection campaign, said in a statement, adding that the team was “shocked” by the gift.

Greco has been a close adviser to the mayor for over a decade, first starting to volunteer for him after he was Brooklyn borough president in 2013. She resigned as city’s director of Asian Affairs last year after being caught up in the federal law enforcement investigation into Adams. The FBI raided two of her homes in connection with their investigation into a straw donations scheme in Adams’s 2021 mayoral campaign.

Adams is running for reelection as an independent.

Richard Kim, the editor-in-chief of the City, called Greco’s cash gift “deeply disturbing.”

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“The fact that one of mayor Adams’ closest, longtime advisors would attempt to ingratiate herself to any reporter, much less Katie Honan, with a cash gift is deeply disturbing and speaks to a rampant and blatant disregard for the role of a free and fair press,” Kim said.

“The choice of sour cream and onion chips is also questionable,” he added.