A bizarre scandal involving potentially illegal campaign contributions from Turkish citizens has New York City Eric Adams playing defense after the FBI seized some of his electronic devices.
“This is an ongoing review,” Adams said at a Tuesday morning press conference. “And as a former member of law enforcement, it is always my view, always my belief, don't interfere with ongoing review and don't try to do these reviews through the press. We are fully cooperating with whatever the reviewers are looking for. We are fully cooperating with it and my role is to allow them to do their job without interference and I have to do my job of continuing to make sure this city navigates the various issues that we that we are facing.”
Adams, a Democrat who was elected mayor in 2021, has not personally been implicated in the investigation. However, his phone and tablet were taken by the FBI last week after agents climbed into Adams' SUV following a speech.CNN has reported that the FBI is looking into whether Adams' campaign had conspired with a Brooklyn construction company to funnel money from Turkish nationals toward his mayoral bid.
Additionally,the New York Times reported Sunday that authorities were looking into whether Adams had pressured the New York Fire Department into giving a new Turkish consulate in Manhattan an occupancy permit despite safety concerns about the high-rise building.
Following Adams’ conversation with the then-fire commissioner, the gleaming new building near the U.N. was approved. Underscoring the importance of the sprawling consulate to the Turkish government, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended its grand opening in September 2021.
The Adamscampaign also reportedly took donations from three members of a foundation started by Erdogan's son that also has Erdogan's daughter on the board. According to The City, a local paper, Adams' campaign accepted $6,000 from several U.S. citizens on the foundation's board.
Adams, who served as a New York City police officer before entering politics, has denied any wrongdoing and in a statement last week said he expected all members of his staff to cooperate in the investigation, saying in a statement last week, “I have nothing to hide.”
Some of the mayor’s allies have likewise insisted that there’s nothing unusual about Adams making calls on the Turkish consulate’s behalf.
"I don't think that should be a smoking gun," former Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. told the New York Post. "I don't see any issue at all. Every elected official makes calls to city agencies on behalf of entities, businesses and constituents. That is what we do."
The raid
As part of the investigation, the FBI raided the home of Adams's chief fundraiser, 25-year-old Brianna Suggs, on Nov. 2. Adams canceled previously scheduled meetings in Washington, D.C. "to deal with a matter," per a spokesman, with the mayor later saying he "wanted to be back in the city to make sure that things were stable."
According to the search warrant, among the items seized at Suggs' home were three iPhones, two laptop computers, a "manila folder labeled Eric Adams,'' seven "contribution card binders" and other documents.
The NYPD Internal Affairs unit ordered a "wellness check" at the home of Suggs hours before the raid. The police said in a statement the move was "part of the working relationships the NYPD maintains with federal law enforcement agencies...before warrants are executed to ensure that addresses are correct and that there will be no danger to anyone residing inside."
The mayor’s Turkey ties
Adams has spoken about his affection for Turkey. He even had a brief cameo in the 2017 rom-com New York Masal (translates to "Fairytale of New York"). The then-Brooklyn borough president interacts with two of the lead characters, telling them he doesn't speak Turkish before saying how much he loves their country.
“Brooklyn loves Turkey,” Adams says in the film. “Brooklyn is the Istanbul of America. We love your food, we love your music, but I don’t understand Turkish. We can take a selfie, though.”
Adams repeated a version of that line during a Turkish flag raising ceremony last month, saying, "New York City is the Istanbul of America." Adams began that event by saying, "I'm probably the only mayor in the history of this city that has not only visited Turkey once, but I think I'm on my sixth or seventh visit to Turkey."
In July, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictments of six people for an alleged "straw donor" scheme meant to help Adams get elected. Straw donors are people who donate other people's money under their own name in an effort to get around campaign-finance laws.
Neither Adams nor any members of his team were mentioned in the filing, in which the alleged fraudsters attempted to max out their donations in exchange for political favors.
A rocky tenure as New York’s mayor
In July, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictments of six people for an alleged "straw donor" scheme meant to help Adams get elected. Straw donors are people who donate other people's money under their own name in an effort to get around campaign-finance laws.
Neither Adams nor any members of his team were mentioned in the filing, in which the alleged fraudsters attempted to max out their donations in exchange for political favors.
In September, former Department of Buildings Commissioner and Adams confidante Eric Ulrich was charged with exchanging access and favors for cash and gifts. Bragg wrote in a letter to the court that "Ulrich was intercepted between November 4, 2021, and November 1, 2022, on an almost daily basis engaging in conduct antithetical to his oath of office."
Adams has found himself attached to controversies and strange stories since his 2021 mayoral campaign. During that race, there was confusion about where exactly Adams lived, with allegations he resided in New Jersey. Adams has claimed he is vegan despite regularly eating fish, said that New York has a "special energy" because it sits above rare gems and stones and has expressed his belief that Gracie Mansion, where the mayor typically resides, is haunted.
In July, the New York Times reported that Adams had made up a story about carrying around the photo of a fallen police officer in his wallet. According to the report, employees had to print out a fake photo and then make it look worn to match up with the mayor's story about carrying it with him for decades.