The caught-on-camera scuffle at a Gracie Mansion party between a pair of city Correction Department officials erupted over mayoral photo-op, sources told The Post.
During Tuesday’s Hispanic Heritage event, compliance head Mariam Singh snapped at agency spokeswoman Annais Morales after being told she could only appear in one of two photos featuring Mayor Adams and a handful of uniformed correction officers, sources with knowledge of the incident told The Post.
As Singh raised her voice, Morales told her she was being insubordinate, prompting Singh to have her husband, who also attended the event, record the dispute, sources said.
Video of the heated exchange, which went viral on social media, showed Singh also taping the dustup on her own phone while Morales attempted to snatch the device. One source said Morales also repeatedly told Singh to stop recording.
Singh can be seen leaning backward in the clip as Morales continues to grab at the phone, eventually wrestling the device away and tossing it. A pair of correction officers then physically intervened to separate the two women, video showed.
A source said Singh likely came to Tuesday’s gala with “a bone to pick” with Morales over the fact that the press office had been instructed to tamp down how often “camera happy folks” like Singh were being featured on its official channels.
Ali Najmi, an attorney for Singh, said a police report had been filed over the fracas on Thursday, which the NYPD confirmed.
Najmi strongly denied that a disagreement over a photo with the mayor sparked the tussle.
“This is a made-up context that is a smoke-and-mirrors effort to justify bad behavior that harmed a good public servant, Dr. Singh,” Najmi said. “We won’t fall for this distraction and demand accountability.”
Morales referred a request for comment to City Hall.
“We expect all city employees to act with the highest level of integrity. This matter is under investigation by the Department of Correction,” Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications, said.