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NEW YORK - Embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams' staffer, Mohamed Bahi, has been charged with witness tampering and record destruction in connection with a federal investigation into illegal campaign contributions for Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign.
According to officials, Bahi allegedly instructed witnesses to lie to federal investigators and deleted potentially incriminating messages in an effort to obstruct the investigation.
Officials say he allegedly advised witnesses to lie and destroy evidence in connection with the investigation of straw contributions to the 2021 Mayoral campaign.
Mohamed Bahi (right) alongside NYC Mayor Eric Adams at an NYPD faith event.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: "As alleged, Mohamed Bahi obstructed a federal criminal investigation by instructing witnesses to lie and then destroying evidence."
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This comes just weeks after Adams was indicted for bribery and illegal campaign contributions. Adams is accused of conspiring to receive illegal donations to his political campaigns from foreign sources.
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Unsealed criminal complaint
In the unsealed complaint, Bahi is accused of accepting straw contributions in Dec. 2020 for "Official-1’s campaign to be New York City Mayor in connection with an election to be held in 2021."
At the fundraising event, four employees of a Brooklyn construction company allegedly made contributions that were actually funded by the company’s CEO, referred to as the "Businessman."
These straw contributions, where donations are made in one person’s name but funded by someone else, can violate federal law, particularly if false statements are used to secure public matching funds or if foreign money is funneled into the campaign.
The complaint also alleges that Bahi tried to obstruct the investigation by tampering with witnesses and destroying evidence.
In July, federal agents searched Bahi’s home and seized his cellphone. Before they arrived, Bahi allegedly deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal, which he had used to communicate with "a certain public official."
Bahi faces charges of witness tampering and destroying records, with each charge carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
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Illegal campaign contributions investigation
Federal authorities have been looking into whether Adams' 2021 campaign illegally received foreign donations for a while.
Since the probe began nearly a year ago, Adams has maintained his innocence and said he is cooperating.
The investigation into the Mayor's campaign first gained media attention in Nov. 2023 when the FBI executed search warrants at the Brooklyn home of one of Adams’ former campaign fundraisers. It remains unclear whether this action is directly connected to the current inquiry or what specific elements the federal authorities are scrutinizing.