A former aide to New York Mayor Eric Adams has been sentenced to three years' probation, including a year of home confinement, for soliciting illegal campaign contributions on behalf of the mayor. Mohamed Bahi, who served as a liaison to the city's Muslim communities, received his sentence on Tuesday.
During the proceedings, a federal judge highlighted the 'elephant in the room': the fact that Mr Adams' own corruption charges were 'erased' through a 'remarkable intervention' by the Trump administration. 'There's a notable absence here of the person at the apex of the pyramid,' said Judge Dale E. Ho, who also presided over Adams' since-dismissed case. 'It is hard to escape the impression that Mr. Bahi, as his counsel put it, is left here holding the bag.'
Bahi, 41, had pleaded guilty to helping solicit illegal donations from employees of a Brooklyn construction company during a December 2020 fundraiser for Adams' first mayoral campaign. That case grew out of a sweeping corruption investigation into Adams and his campaign, which led to the mayor's indictment in September 2024 on bribery and campaign finance offenses. Earlier this year, the Justice Department moved to dismiss the case against Adams, arguing it was impeding his cooperation with President Donald Trump's immigration priorities.
An attorney for Bahi, Derek Adams, accused federal prosecutors of sparing 'those in positions of power.' 'The sentiment of the public,' he added, was that his client was left 'holding the bag' while Adams got off. When Judge Ho asked the government how he should weigh the fact that Adams was not facing charges, the prosecutor, Robert Sobelman, demurred, saying he could only discuss the case against Bahi.
For his part, Bahi told the judge he had accepted 'full responsibility for my actions' and was focused on rebuilding trust. 'The integrity of elections is one of the most sacred rights we have, and I violated that,' he said through tears. Bahi previously said he was 'instructed' by another Adams volunteer to set up the straw donation scheme, which allowed the campaign to collect larger contributions through the city's generous matching funds program.
Prosecutors had urged the judge to sentence Bahi to one year in prison, noting that he deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his phone after learning that federal agents were outside his home. Bahi embraced his dozens of supporters in the courtroom after learning that he would avoid prison time. His confinement will allow him to leave home for work and to attend religious services. 'I'm feeling content that this whole ordeal is over,' he told reporters as he left the courtroom. 'Spending time with my family for a year is probably the best thing I can do.'
