FBI agents have seized the phones and electronic devices of Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, as part of a federal investigation into his campaign financing, one of his lawyers said Friday.
The seizures are believed to be linked to a corruption investigation into whether Eric Adams conspired with the government and Turkish nationals during his 2021 New York mayoral campaign.
“On Monday evening, the FBI approached the mayor after an event. The mayor immediately complied with the FBI’s request and handed over electronic devices,” said Boyd Johnson, the campaign’s lawyer, in a statement sent to AFP.
“He has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation,” he added.
A search of the head of fundraising for Eric Adams’ campaign
The federal investigation into Eric Adams’ campaign became public last week when FBI agents searched the home of his campaign’s fundraising manager – 25-year-old intern Brianna Suggs – and seized computers and cell phones as well as a cardboard folder marked “Eric Adams.”
Last week, following this search, the mayor hastily left Washington, where he was to meet officials from the White House and Congress about the influx of migrants in his city, in order to return to New York.
“I expect all members of my team to follow the law and cooperate fully with any form of investigation,” said Eric Adams in a statement released Friday.
“This is exactly what I will continue to do,” he declared, assuring that he “has nothing to hide.”
The warrant reportedly said authorities were investigating whether donations from the government or Turkish nationals were made to Eric Adams through a system in which fake contributors were allegedly listed.
The link between the seizure of Eric Adams’ devices and the search of Brianna Suggs’s home is not yet clear.
In his statement, Boyd Johnson said that “upon learning of the federal investigation, it has become apparent that an individual has recently acted inappropriately,” without specifying the details of the investigation to which he was referring.