Campaign Finance Investigation | FBI seizes electronic devices from New York mayor

(New York) FBI agents seized Mayor Eric Adams’ electronic devices earlier this week, in what appears to be a dramatic escalation of the criminal investigation into whether his 2021 campaign team conspired with the Turkish government to bring money into its coffers.

FBI agents approached Eric Adams after an event in Manhattan Monday evening and asked his bodyguards to move away, a person with knowledge of the matter said. According to this same source, the agents got into his sports utility vehicle with the mayor and took his devices under a search warrant.

The devices — at least two cellphones and an iPad — were returned to Mr. Adams in the following days, according to this source and another person familiar with the situation. Law enforcement investigators with a search warrant can make copies of data from devices after seizing them.

A lawyer for Mr. Adams and his campaign released a statement saying the mayor is cooperating with federal authorities and has already “proactively reported” at least one instance of impropriety.

“Upon learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently engaged in impropriety,” said attorney Boyd Johnson. “In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, we immediately and proactively reported this to investigators. »

Mr. Johnson says Mr. Adams is not accused of wrongdoing and that he “immediately complied with the FBI’s request and handed over electronic devices.” That evening, Mr. Adams attended a celebration of the anniversary of an educational initiative at New York University.

Outstanding issues

The press release from the mayor’s lawyer does not identify the author of the irregularities, does not give details of the facts and gestures reported to the authorities and does not clearly indicate whether they have a link with the seizure of M’s devices. .Adams. It is also unclear whether agents mentioned the campaign finance investigation when they seized Mr. Adams’ devices.

Eric Adams added that he had “nothing to hide.”

The surprise seizure of Adams’ devices is an unusual event and appears to be the first time the campaign contribution investigation has directly affected the mayor. Adams, a retired police captain, said Wednesday that he urges his staff to “obey the law” so insistently that it is almost “annoying.” He laughed at the idea that he might be exposed to criminal prosecution.

Spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, whose prosecutors are also investigating the case, declined to comment.

A targeted fundraiser

The federal investigation into Mr. Adams’ campaign came to light on November 2, when FBI agents raided the home of the mayor’s top fundraiser, seizing two laptops, three iPhone devices and a file bearing the name Eric Adams.

The fundraiser, a 25-year-old former intern named Brianna Suggs, has not spoken publicly since the raid.

Mr. Adams responded to news of the search by abruptly returning from Washington, where he had just arrived for a day of meetings with White House and congressional leaders about the migrant influx, a problem which, according to him, threatens to “destroy New York City”.

On Wednesday, he explained that his sudden return was motivated by his desire to be there for his team and his concern for M^me Suggs, who he said had a “traumatic experience.”

But Mr Adams also clarified that he had not spoken to Mr^me Suggs on the day of the search, to avoid any appearance of interference with an ongoing investigation.

Turkey at the heart of the investigation

The warrant obtained by the FBI to search M’s home^me Suggs aimed to seek evidence of a conspiracy to violate campaign finance law. According to the warrant, the plot in question was allegedly hatched by members of the Adams campaign, the Turkish government or Turkish nationals, and a Brooklyn-based construction company, KSK Construction, whose owners are originally from Turkey.

The warrant also sought documents on donations from Bay Atlantic University, a Washington university whose founder is Turkish. This university is affiliated with a school that Mr. Adams visited when he visited Turkey as Brooklyn district president in 2015.

The mandate, examined by the New York Times, says authorities are investigating whether the Turkish government or Turkish nationals funneled donations to Adams using a fake donor scheme, in which the listed contributors are not the actual source of the money. The mandate also covered Mr. Adams’ campaign’s use of New York City’s generous public matching program, under which the city offers an eight-to-one match on the first $250 donated. a resident.

Federal authorities also investigated whether anyone in Adams’ campaign provided any benefit to Turkey or the construction company in exchange for campaign donations.

Others close to Adams face justice

This is not the first time that Mr. Adams or members of his entourage have attracted the interest of law enforcement. In September, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed 16 charges, including bribery and conspiracy, against Eric Ulrich, a former buildings commissioner and senior adviser to Adams.

In July, Mr. Bragg charged six people, including a retired police detective who once worked alongside Mr. Adams, with conspiring to funnel illegal donations to his 2021 campaign. .

Eric Adams also had run-ins with the law before becoming mayor. Shortly after being elected Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams organized a charity event for a new nonprofit, One Brooklyn, which had not yet registered with the state. The guest list was based on a list of donors to nonprofits compiled by his predecessor, documents showed.

An investigation by the New York City Department of Investigation concluded that Adams and his nonprofit organization improperly solicited funding by approaching groups that had or would have pending cases before his office. Mr. Adams’ office then insisted to investigators that the slip-ups occurred early in his administration and promised to comply with the law in the future.

This article was published in the New York Times.