Mayor Eric Adams cancels another event, as FBI probes campaign donations
FBI raids home of Adams' fundraiser
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has denied any involvement in illegal political fundraising, but his campaign pledged to review its books and the actions of its workers after federal agents raided the home of one of his chief fundraisers. The New York Times says it obtained a search warrant indicating authorities were examining whether the Democrat's campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive banned donations from foreigners.
NEW YORK - Questions are rapidly mounting for Mayor Eric Adams.
Federal investigators are said to be looking into whether the mayor's campaign received illegal foreign donations.
Adams canceled yet another event Friday, a day after abruptly ditching a planned White House meeting in Washington on Thursday.
According to the search warrant, the FBI is investigating whether the Adams 2021 mayoral campaign conspired with a Brooklyn based construction company to funnel foreign money into the campaign.
In a statement obtained by Fox 5 NY's Morgan McKay Mayor Eric Adams said, "I am outraged and angry if anyone attempted to use the campaign to manipulate our democracy and defraud our campaign. I want to be clear, I have no knowledge, direct or otherwise, of any improper fundraising activity—and certainly not of any foreign money. We will of course work with officials to respond to inquiries, as appropriate—as we always have."
Allegedly, investigators are looking to see if foreign nationals used Turkish Americans to donate on their behalf (straw donor scheme), which would be illegal.
This also comes after federal agents raided the home of a top fundraiser and longtime confidante to Adams, Brianna Suggs.
"Mayor Adams has not been contacted as part of this inquiry. He has always held the campaign to the highest standards," Vito Pitta, Adams' 2021 campaign counsel, told FOX 5 NY.
A spokesperson for the FBI confirmed that a court-authorized law enforcement action had been carried out at the address, but declined to comment further.
Vito Pitta, an attorney for the Adams campaign, said "Immediately upon learning about the federal inquiry, the campaign started an extensive review of all documents and actions by campaign workers connected to the contributors in question."
Suggs, who did not respond to a request for comment, is a campaign consultant to Adams who raised money for his election effort and also lobbied his administration on behalf of a real estate client.Suggs, 25, has worked for Adams since 2017, when she joined his staff in the Brooklyn Borough president’s office as a teenager, reporting directly to her godmother, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a longtime Adams ally who now serves as the mayor’s chief advisor.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams smiles as he speaks during his election night party at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge on November 02, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Democratic candi
When Adams, a Democrat, ran for mayor in 2021, Suggs served as a chief fundraiser and director of logistics, helping to organize events and solicit money from donors. Records show she has been paid more than $150,000 for her work on his previous campaign and his current reelection bid.
While collecting paychecks from the campaign in 2021, Suggs simultaneously started her own lobbying firm, Brianna Suggs & Associates Inc. Lobbying records list only one client, a real estate group seeking to take over a city-owned mall in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Good government groups have previously cast scrutiny on her role as a mayoral fundraiser and a lobbyist for real estate clients with interests before the city.
At the time, a spokesperson for Suggs, Jordan Barowitz, defended her dual roles, which some campaign finance experts said did not violate any city laws.
Barowitz did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 02: New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams waves to supporters as he takes the stage during his election night party at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge on November 02, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York
Suggs is the latest Adams associate — and one of several people involved in his fundraising activity — to face legal trouble in recent months. In July, six people were charged in a straw donor conspiracy scheme to divert tens of thousands of dollars to Adams’ campaign.
The New York Times says it obtained a copy of the search warrant - the paper says it shows the FBI appears to be looking into whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government and a Brooklyn construction company to funnel money into the Mayor's campaign coffers.
In July, six people were charged in an alleged scheme to divert tens of thousands of dollars in public funds to Adams’ campaign months before his election.
Adams has distanced himself from both cases, which were brought in state court and did not directly implicate his campaign or administration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.