The MSG Boss and His Family's Big Bet on Mayor Adams

Billionaire James Dolan, who owns Madison Square Garden, and his family and business associates have donated over $60,000 to Mayor Eric Adams in recent months. This happened while MSG was lobbying City Hall about important business matters, like the renewal of a special permit for the arena. The permit allows MSG to operate above Penn Station, which is a crucial issue for the company. Dolan and his family can make these donations because they aren't barred by the city's rules, even though MSG itself can't contribute. The donations came in July, with each person giving the maximum allowed amount. This includes Dolan, his sons, his father, and several business associates. Some of these people also gave to Adams' 2025 campaign.

MSG has been actively lobbying City Hall and the City Council on various issues. One big issue is the special permit for the arena. The company wants a permit without an expiration date, but the Council only gave a five-year renewal. MSG has also been lobbying against a bill that would ban the use of facial recognition technology at venues like MSG. Some council members think MSG should do more to help with the long-term redesign of Penn Station. There have even been talks about moving the Garden to make way for a new station, but those talks have faded. A councilwoman from Brooklyn has reintroduced the facial recognition bill this year. She says it now has enough support to pass.

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