The FBI has seized at least two mobile phones and an iPad belonging to New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of a corruption investigation into his successful 2021 mayoral campaign, the New York Times reported on Friday.
According to sources, FBI agents approached Adams on the street earlier this week, asked his security detail to step aside, and entered his vehicle to confiscate the devices under a court-issued warrant. The equipment was returned to him within days after data was copied.
The investigation is examining whether Adams' campaign conspired with the Turkish government and others to funnel money into its coffers. The warrant sought records related to donations from Bay Atlantic University, a Washington DC college with Turkish ties, and a school Adams visited during a 2015 trip to Turkey.
Adams, a former NYPD captain, stated through a spokesperson: 'As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation, and I will continue to do that. I have nothing to hide.'
The raid follows an earlier FBI search of the home of Brianna Suggs, Adams' chief fundraiser, where laptops and phones were seized. Adams' campaign attorney, Boyd Johnson, said the mayor has not been accused of wrongdoing and continues to cooperate, adding that an individual's improper behavior was proactively reported to investigators.
