Eric Adams attends an event in New York Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP 09/11/2023
FBI agents seized the New York mayor’s cellphones and other devices. Eric Adamsas part of a federal investigation into his campaign fundraising, his attorney said Friday.
The move would be related to the investigation to determine whether Adams’ 2021 election campaign collaborated with the Turkish government.
“On Monday evening, the FBI contacted the mayor following an incident. The mayor immediately agreed to the FBI’s request and gave him his electronic devices,” campaign lawyer Boyd Johnson told AFP.
“The mayor has not been accused of any crime and continues to cooperate with the investigation,” he added.
The federal investigation into Adams’ campaign became public last week when FBI agents raided the home of his former fundraiser a 25yearold former intern Brianna Suggs and seized laptops, cellphones and a briefcase marked “Eric Adams.”
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News of the operation prompted the mayor to retreat and return from Washington to New York, where he was scheduled to meet with the White House and congressional authorities to discuss the arrival of migrants in his city.
In a statement released Friday, Adams, a former police officer, said he expects all members of his team to “respect the law and cooperate fully in any type of investigation.”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to continue to do,” he said. “I have nothing to hide.”
The FBI warrant to search Suggs’ home sought evidence of a conspiracy between the mayor’s campaign, Turkey and a Turkish real estate developer in Brooklyn, according to the New York Times.
The arrest warrant appeared to indicate that authorities were investigating whether the donations to Adams were made by the Turkish government or by Turkish citizens as part of a fake donor scheme.
On Friday, Attorney Johnson stated that “after learning of the federal investigation, it was determined that an individual had recently acted inappropriately,” without specifying which investigation he was referring to.
“In the interest of transparency and collaboration, this behavior was promptly and proactively reported to investigators. The mayor was and continues to be committed to cooperating in this matter.”
The seizure of Adams’ devices marks the first time such an investigation has gone directly to the mayor of New York.