NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — As part of an ongoing federal corruption probe into Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign and political fundraising, grand jury subpoenas were issued to the mayor himself, City Hall and to his election committee, 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 confirmed.
The corruption inquiry came into the public eye in November when FBI officials raided the Brooklyn home of the mayor’s former chief fundraiser Brianna Suggs, causing Adams to cancel high-profile meetings regarding the asylum seeker crisis and return to New York City from Washington, D.C. Just one week later, federal agents seized phones and an iPad from Adams as he left a public event in Manhattan as part of the investigation.
The subpoenas, issued in July, seek to obtain a range of communications, including text messages and other documents, the New York Times reported.
“As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has been clear over that last nine months that he will cooperate with any investigation underway,” Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said in a statement to 1010 WINS/WCBS 880. “Nothing has changed. He expects everyone to cooperate to swiftly bring this investigation to a close.”
Boyd Johnson, an attorney for Adams, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 that over the last nine months, the mayor’s legal team has been conducting an internal investigation into the areas of interest of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Johnson said that this included evaluating campaign documents, reviewing tens of thousands of electric communications and conducting witness interviews.
“To be clear, we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the Mayor. To the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories of federal prosecution as to the Mayor, which we have voluntarily shared with the U.S. Attorney,” Johnson said.
While the full scope of the investigation is yet unclear, it is, at least in part, looking into possible collusion between the Adams campaign and the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations.
According to a November report by the New York Times, one area of inquiry is whether or not Adams, weeks before his 2021 election, pushed the FDNY to approve Manhattan high-rise housing for the new Turkish Consulate General while ignoring safety concerns about the building.
Neither Adams nor any of his campaign staff have been accused of wrongdoing, and it is possible the investigation could end without charges being brought against Adams or City Hall staff.
“We continue to cooperate with the investigation and are in the process of responding to the recently issued subpoenas,” Johnson said. “We continue to look forward to a prompt and just resolution of this investigation.”