NYC's Corruption Scandal, Leslie Jones on Europe | Susanna Fogel’s “Winner”

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Welcome to the Daily Show.

I'm Jesse Lighteck.

We've got a really big show for you tonight. It's autumn and New York. The leaves are changing, the indictments are falling, and Leslie Jones is here.

But let's get right.

Into today's big story. New York City's Mayor Eric Adams. He's known for a lot of things, from.

Clubby downtown, to clubbing in Midtown to clubbing during work hours. He's having the best time and the party is never gonna end.

Breaking overnight, indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams facing criminal charges, an historic case for the first time is sitting mayor is facing criminal charges.

Indicted by the US Southern District here.

In New York.

Can someone check if there's bottle service at Rikers? So yes, this is a historic and sad day for New York City, which is why the subway masturbators were flying their.

Sweatpants at half mass this morning.

Now, to be fair, Adams is of course, innocent until proven guilty, although it would be a lot easier to believe he wasn't doing crimes if he didn't dress like a gangster from guys'n' Dolls. But the question is what exactly is Eric Adams stuff. Let's find out in our new segment, Suspects in the City. I couldn't help, but wonder how could the mayor be in trouble with the law.

We know how much he follows the law because he tells us all the time.

I just strongly believe you have to follow the law. I cannot tell you how much I start today with telling my team we gotta follow the law.

See, as we know, the most trustworthy people are the ones who are constantly telling you how trustworthy they are. You know, It's like how most faithful spouses start every morning reminding themselves not to cheat. If you got one of those ladies, hang on, hang on, tie, don't let go. So what's the mayor in trouble for? Well, according to him, it's for simple caring too much.

Always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target, and a target I became.

Oh my god, you did that for us.

Oh, oh my god, Oh my god. And I knew it.

I knew that when you said the city should put garbage in garbage cans, they would come after you.

I knew it, and they did. They did.

I mean, unless there was some other reason why they indicted you. The indictment reads like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, describing a politician who wanted to travel.

Beyond his means and did so with the help of Turkish nationals.

On numerous occasions, the mayor would fly on Turkish Airlines, which is primarily owned by the Turkish government. In October twenty sixteen, they purchased economy tickets valued at just over twenty two hundred dollars and received free upgrades to business class worth about fifteen thousand dollars. In twenty seventeen, Adams, a family member, and a staff member accepted free business class tickets worth more than thirty five thousand dollars.

Let me get this straight.

I've heard of politicians getting paid off in bags of cash and fancy cars and gold bars, but this is the first time I've heard of selling out the city to get medallion status on Turkish airlines. I mean, come on, buddy, if you want to get bumped up to first class, just say you found a pub in your pretzels.

It works every time, every time.

And if you're wondering, isn't Turkish air an inconvenient airline to have your bribes paid in?

You're right.

According to the indictment, Adams insisted on flying Turkish air through Istanbul, even if it was out of the way. When is friend asked if he wanted to vacation in Chile, he repeatedly asked her whether Turkish Airlines flew there from New York City.

Our mayor is bad at crime and geography.

Oh my god.

This isn't just embarrassing as a mayor, this is embarrassing as a boyfriend. Hey, baby, Hawaii sounds fun, but what about a three hour layover in Istanbul and then Estonia. It is the Hawaii of Eastern Europe. So Turkish Airlines is the quid Wait till you hear the pro quo.

The entictment detailing and alleged quid pro quote, writing that Adams intervened with the FDNY to permit the Turkish Consulate to occupy a skyscraper that had not passed a fire safety inspection.

This is the worst bribery deal ever.

Listen, if you slip me a couple hundred grand, I'll make double sure there's no fire extinguisher in your building. You can thank me later. This is so upsetting. It's a sad day in New York City. When foreign nations are bribing the mayor to rush permit.

That is the mob's job.

Okay, those should be American bribe Americans. Now, a lot of politicians are saying Adams should resign or at least hide his face in shame.

But what do real New Yorkers say?

I think you should resign. I think so.

He's not good.

He deserved to get out.

There's always been been a mayor.

There's going to be another one.

What's the big deal?

Wow?

New Yorkers feel the same way about their mayor as most people do about the Fast and Furious movies. They're all bad and there is definitely going to be another one. Maybe one reason New Yorkers aren't too worried about their mayor being indicted is that we understand the city government is so much more than just one person. The Adams administration is full of civil servants doing their job honorably like the police commissioner.

In battled NYPD Commissioner Edward Kabin was forced to resign amid a federal investigation into influence peddling involving his twin brother.

Okay, so the police commissioner also had a scandal, but you can always get another police commissioner.

Just days after being appointed interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donand's homes had been raided by the FUDS.

Okay, police aren't everything. It's the school system that matters.

School's chancellor David Banks becomes the lad's appointee to announce his departure as he faces scrutiny after FBI agencies his cell phones.

Not the chancellor who will make sure the schools are chancelled. Jesus, is there anyone in this administration who isn't under investigation.

Banks is among at least fifteen other members of the administration that are currently under investigation. Banks, his two brothers, Phil and Terrence, as well as his fiance, Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

Agent searched the home of Adam's chief fundraiser, Breonna Suggs. New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda and his office are being investigated over money confiscated from illegal pot shops. Investigators searched the homes of Winnie Greco, the director of Asian Affairs.

A senior aide to Mayor Adams Tim Pearson.

Were there any kind of kickbacks going on.

Business dealings between Frank Corone, the one time chief of staff Mayor Adams, and a mon senior named Jamie Jigantiella.

Oh my god, Fox News was right. Crime really is out of control in New York. This is actually kind of impressive. Adams has assembled multiple branches of an administration, all committed to a shared vision of breaking the law. I can't even get my coworkers to go apple picking with me. For more on this evolving scandal, we now go live to City Hall with Michael Costa. Michael, with all this turmoil, who is actually in charge of the city right now?

Yeah, that's a good question, Dasi, And I think I am.

I mean what you Yeah?

You know.

I came down to City Hall this morning to ask some questions, but it was totally empty. Everyone has either resigned or been arrested. And then the phone started ringing, So I answered one, and then I answered another one, and now I'm pretty much running the city. I mean a couple hold on, I got to sign off on this, budd thing.

So wait, you should not be running the city.

You know it's not that hard, DESSI I mean, I hired some firefighters, shut down the F train for no reason. I grand marshalled the gay Vietnamese Mermaid parade.

Classic mayor stuff.

You know, hold on, I gotta do a photo op for this. Make a wish kid, kim on, Hey, you're.

Gonna be okay, buddy, all right, you're gonna make it.

You're gonna make it.

Stays up, You're gonna make it.

He's not gonna make it.

So I gotta say I'm impressed, Michael. It seems like you're actually doing a good job. Is wait wait, wait what was that? Did you just accept it?

Brian?

What of course not?

You think I'm mayor for one day and I'm already taking cash to build a Turkish bath in the middle of Central Park. That's insulting, Shakir, I hear, Dakim.

What what did you say?

What?

What crime you did?

Look, I'll have you know that every morning I look in the mirror and I say, do not approve a Turkish bath house in exchange for forty thousand Turkish lira and first class seats to Boston with a stopover in Istanbul.

Wow.

Wow, you really are a New York City mayor.

Yeah, well, I mean, oh what what what?

What?

What?

What?

Someone writed me out?

Was this camera recording me the whole time?

Dansey? Tell the world I'm innacing.

I took those bradts for you.

Tessy.

Please, I'm gonna ask you to go assle picking with me.

Michael Pack to everybody.

When we come back, let me Jones. We'll give us her.

Opinion to don't go away by show.

We all know I've got great opinions, but I'm not the only ones. Study show that other people also have opinions. So here with another installment of in my opinion is our good friend Leslie Jones.

Oh, I just want to say, I know what y'all all thinking. I look good, right, very blessed, very hydrated. Yes, but that's because over the summer I went to a little place called France.

It was for the Olympics. Oh what's that?

What's that?

You want to see pictures?

No, it wouldn't be right to show you, guys this picture of me looking so fine.

It would be.

Yes, it would be ghost, a word that I learned in France when I was there doing the Olympics. But while I was doing my eight slade love in France, I learned something very unfortunate that I want to talk to y'all about. While I was there, we were treated very rudely, and at first I thought it was because I was black, but that wasn't it. It actually was because I was American, which made me so sad because I was like, damn, can't y'all just be racist?

But it turns out there's a lot.

Of things about Americans that the world doesn't like, and you know what, I think I might agree with them. Take our food. When I was in France, I ate a peach and it was so good that I started crying because I don't think I have ever had.

A real peach before.

It tastes so natural, so sweet and ghosh. It made me think, why can't American food be that good? And it turns out the reason is because half the shit in our food isn't even food.

There are more than ten thousand chemicals and additives allowed in food in the United States.

Potassium brummate is a suspected cosmogen that's banned for human consumption in Europe but legal.

In the US.

Skittles, pop tarts, Gatorade, little debies in the European Union because of dies like yellow five, Yellow six, and red forty.

For the UK bottle of Heinz Ketchup, there are about six ingredients, all recognizable, but that's not the same for the classic US one. Take a look at how much longer this thing is high fruitoast, corn syrup, corn syrup and natural flavoring.

Natural flavor. What does natural flavoring being everything has natural flavor. Of dog's ass has natural.

Flavor, but it doesn't mean I want to dip.

My French fries in it. We are eating poisons and.

We don't even care.

I had so much time to do stuff in Europe because I didn't have to schedule two hours after every meal for shitting, and we're paying the price for eating all this trash. Have you ever realized that there's no more your mama so fat jokes? And huh it's because now everybody mama's fat.

It ain't funny no more.

Everybody is like, oh, your mama's so fat, and so is my mama, and so am I pass the car, sir. It's not just about food, though, because not only do Europeans think we're ugly on the outside, they also think we're ugly on the inside.

They have really really crazy people. They're self absorbed and feel superior, so aggressive, they're quite brash, loud people.

Americans talk to loud, loud.

And loud loud, pretty loud.

What the fuck you talking about?

Loud?

Y'all too y'all too quiet over there anyway, whispering and ship you got too many damn secrets. The queen is dead. And I love to push back on these Europeans, but anyone who's been on the internet knows that we can be a little combative.

Meltdown on the plane.

Road rage leading to fists are flying in Flagler County.

So much for me because I love Hey, we need that bag. Betterhelp dot com he.

You know, we should have a social contract in this country not to lose our shit in public. If someone gets your order wrong, be an adult, just.

Say I'm never eating here again. Then order at the drive through like that.

Else.

It's not just these viral videos. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is aware of our culture of violence.

The gun situations kind of freaks me out. There's all these shootings going on, guns, violence.

School shootings, many people with guns.

Everyone can buy a weapon there.

People have so many guns.

I feel like I would not feel safe there.

You're right, You're not gonna be safe here. You think I do cardio for my health, I do it.

So I can outrun bullets. Bitch.

Everybody shouldn't be allowed to have a gun. I shouldn't even be legally allowed to own a megaphone. But ado, The point is, we got problems in America. And don't try to blame all of this on Trump, because even if you take him out of the picture, our political system is not normal.

A candidate for governor is accused of making disturbing statements on a porn site, including allegedly saying he is a black Nazi.

Congresswoman Lauren Bober kicked out of a performance.

Of the musical Beetlejuice, and she and her companion were noticeably groping each other in front of others.

South Dakota Governor Christy no revealing in a new book that she shot her dog Cricket.

Federal official they're investigating Robert F. Kennedy Junior for allegedly decapitating a dead weal.

Did capitate? Well, what did the Welles do to you?

Come?

Can't you just do?

Can't you just go to a ditty party.

Like a normal millionaire.

Of course, Europe thinks we're fred up.

I think we're stuff.

We are Listen, listen.

I had to leave America to realize how much bullshit we live in. I know that this last decade has been hard on everyone. I've been around the world. I've been around the country, and people feel.

Helpless and hopeless.

They don't trust the Supreme Court, don't trust the politicians, our criminal justice system, and our food supply. They think that the power comes from the top down. But let me let you in on a secret. The people have all the power if you but we got all the power. But we got to get involved. And I get it, I get it. You just want to go to work, come home, take care of your kids.

Watch it. Who knew?

But you gotta get involved. That's the way to make things change. And if we do that.

We can be better.

We can do better.

We can be go sh.

Let me John, Welcome Day Show.

My guest tonight is an award winning director and screenwriter whose latest film is called Winner. Please welcome, Susannah Foegel.

I'm good to.

See you for being here, Thanks for having me.

I adore you to pieces.

I have to say when you called Eric Adams out for wearing a Guys and Dolls esque suit, I felt seen and attacked.

You're missing the fat tie and the pocket square next time.

No, this is this is not guys and Dolls. This is Chic, right, this is Shea.

It's just cool, powerful director, Chic.

I am so happy for you.

Congratulations on everything with this film.

It's incredible.

This is based on the true story the whistleblower. Reality Winner remind people what happened to reality.

So Reality is a girl from Texas who was really smart. Taught herself all these languages in high school to try to sort of her goal was to become a linguist

Was at odds with what was in the news.

This is when people were litigating whether or not Russia had hacked the elections, and the news cycle was really consumed with that.

It feels like just yesterday, It doesn't end were so fun.

We've come such a long way, so in the same place, you know, I know.

So Anyway, so she was sort of watching this constant loop of the news saying there was no proof that the government knew that the Russians had ACKed the election, and then on her work computer, she just out of curiosity, took a peek at some classified documents and saw that

Right, showing them the truth exposed. Yeah, and she served quite a bit of time for this crime. She she was served with the longest amount of time ever for someone who leaked government secrets.

How long did she certain?

Five years?

Yeah, she ended up getting out on good behavior, and she was on house arrest and halfway house for a while. But basically, yeah, I mean she she didn't have anything to trade, like, she didn't have power connections. She was from a small town, and unlike a lot of people who sort of got away with actual collusions, she she was just kind of nailed and like tried to lobby for her own release.

But there was no sort of no mercy for her at the time, so she was martyred.

Really, Yeah, it is remarkable how so many other people have who shall remain nameless, have done far worse and aren't showing any accountability.

For their action, and sometimes they can run for president.

Yeah.

It's I feel like only you, Susannah Fogel could take this movie, this very like weighty, serious story and turned it into this beautiful, heartwarming, comedic at times coming.

Of age film.

It's a really beautiful, beautiful movie. What was behind your approach in taking that path with that tone.

So I have to give credit to Carry Halley, who's the journalist for New York Magazine who wrote this this like long form piece on Reality that it was really striking because it mostly focused on what a funny person Reality is and how quirky she is, like her love for Futurama and Pikachu jumpsuits, which she actually wore in life and wears in the movie. You know, she's a quirky, kind of quintessentially millennial person with like a variety of interests.

Whether you feel like you would make that decision or not, no matter whether you relate to her choice, you definitely relate to her as a human being, and you show her as this complex, really fun funny woman. The performances are incredible in this. The actress who plays reality is Amelia Jones. She's unbelievable. I could not picture anyone else in that role.

Yeah, she's great.

And then you have Zach Galifanakis, who's also incredible.

Connie Britton. Do you I'm curious.

The one thing that I that I love so much about your work is that you've You've explored all these different genres of film, but one thing that seems to be a through line is that you love telling stories of these complicated, flawed, funny, empowered women. Is that something that you look for when you're choosing to write or direct on it?

I try to avoid it, you do, you do?

Yeah?

Yeah, I mean it's it's honestly like what appealed What appealed to me about this particular story is that it's a woman in an everyman's story. The story is not about gender equality, even though the stories obviously have their place and there have been great movies about them. To me, there's I think, like progress or that sort of post that canon of movies. It's movies about women that are dealing with moral issues that usually we've seen represented on through a male perspective.

So so yeah, I mean, I think I gravitate.

Towards stories I feel haven't been told, and when it comes to female characters, stories that feel like they haven't been shown through a female lens, it ends up being.

Something I'm excited about. It's not something I look for exclusively.

But in this case, I thought, you know, this is a story that's so specific because of who she is, where she.

Comes from, that she's a woman, that she's a young woman.

And yet it's a story where the sort of big, serious moral issue she's grappling with is one that isn't about gender and isn't about proving that she's equal to men, which is what a lot of I think movies and shows they kind of just default to that one problem that it still exists widely obviously.

But no, we have other problems. Yeah, I know, we don't feel it in late Night. I'm sorry, not at all.

That's no, not at all.

I just thought I I thought I would give you the exclusive.

On that thank you breaking story, like the uh you also spent a lot of time with reality.

I did, true, I did.

I Yeah, I mean it was one of my It was my first experience trying to tell a story about a real person who's alive and there to defend themselves or get mad at me and never speak to me again. If I, you know, don't do justice to her story and her personality. At the same time, it's a it's a fictional, fictionalized movie.

So yeah, there was a lot of pressure.

First, the pressure to get her to trust me enough that I could talk to her about aspects of her experience, and also just to get the details right of her life.

What music did you listen to?

What bad fashion choices did you make in high school that we can replicate in our movie? So it feels real and.

That was but to do that you sort of have to get close.

And then once you're close and your friends, like the terror switches to, they're gonna see the movie and they're gonna feel misrepresented, and then the friendship is going to be destroyed, and then I'll feel terrible about it.

So to see the movie.

So she has sworn not to see any of the three movies that have been made about her, So we're not being singled out, but no, she has not seen the movie. I mean, basically, her philosophy on all of it is she wants her story to get out there. She wants people to kind of know what she did and why and to take action in their own lives

I take is a great compliment. So the friendship is still intent, right, is intact?

Yeah.

I would like to think if she saw the movie, she would be very proud and very happy with the way that it came out. It's truly incredible.

Thank you for coming.

On, Thank you, thank you for allowing me to blow the whistle on how good this movie is. There's now available on trying video everywhere in the you ask can in Canada.

We're gonna make it.

Quick, Frankael, We'll be right back after day.

That's our show tonight. Now Here a moment of.

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