Your editorial Wednesday asserted there were unanswered questions regarding my 2011 trip to South Korea. Although I have been quite forthcoming about the trip already, here are the facts again in the interest of transparency and clarity:
Purpose: The trip focused around innovative work on green energy projects — work that I wanted to see firsthand as a member of the Senate's energy committee so that New York could be at the forefront of these important advances.
Transparency around sites visited: Each step of the trip was not only documented, but also published on my Senate website Oct. 12, 2011, the day after I returned.
Payment: I stated in your paper in 2011 — and it was confirmed again for you this week — that I used no public money for the trip. In fact, your paper published the individual expenses made for the trip from my campaign. I would also be happy to show the Times Union a copy of the statement from my personal American Express card to verify I also used my own personal money, and not public money, for the trip.
Although campaign rules allowed me to pay for the entire trip out of my campaign fund, I chose to only pay for the airline cost for me and my chief of staff. The hotel stay was paid from my personal funds.
Joining me on the trip was my chief of staff and a personal companion. My personal companion paid her own fare and hotel. No campaign or public money paid any expenses for my personal companion. Her expenses were paid solely from her or my personal funds.
I hope that you and your readers will find this information helpful. I agree we must have the utmost trust in our public officials — and I will always strive to be transparent in order to keep that trust.
State Sen.
Eric Adams
Brooklyn