FBI Agents Search Offices in Buffalo City Hall

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Photo credit Photo Courtesy: @ChrisHorvatits4 @WIVB

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Just hours after a quiet election day in the City of Buffalo, agents from the FBI arrived at Buffalo's City Hall to carry out a search warrant. 

A spokesperson for the FBI confirmed to WBEN that the FBI, along with partners from HUD and the IRS are conducting court authorized activity inside Buffalo City Hall that began just after 7:00 a.m.. Much of the activity is happening in and around the Office of Strategic Planning.

"Our understanding is that court authorized activity has taken place at a Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency office," said a city spokesperson in a statement. "At this time we have no further information."

The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency plans and finances neighborhood development projects. Specifically, it uses federal tax dollars issued in the form of grants for housing projects in the city, according to Buffalo Common Councilman Richard Fontana.

Spoke this afternoon with councilman Richard Fontana on this morning’s raid:-First learned of the raid in committee meetings-Said documents and computers were being searched-Could be an issue internally or something part of investigation outside of the city (bad contractor?) pic.twitter.com/I6oFadybxb

— Mike Baggerman (@MikeBaggerman) November 6, 2019

"We want to know who, what, where, and why?" Fontana said after learning of the raids during committee meetings. "We started asking questions...We don't know what the intent of the search was but a judge ordered it and I'm sure they're compliant and they get what they need."

No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed in relation to the search. Because no charges have been filed, we are not expecting further public comment from the FBI. Fontana speculated that the search could range from an internal matter with the office or an outside investigation having to do with a contractor who lied about money they made at the expense of the city.