FBI agents seized electronic devices from New York City Mayor Eric Adams days after raiding the home of his top campaign fundraiser, the mayor’s lawyer said.
Federal authorities are investigating whether the mayor colluded with a Brooklyn construction company and the Turkish government to funnel foreign money into the campaign through a straw donor scheme.
Boyd Johnson, an attorney for the Adams campaign, confirmed on Friday (10 November) that Adams provided the FBI with electronic devices after agents approached the mayor after an event on Monday night.
According to Johnson, the FBI requested the devices after Adams informed investigators of misconduct by an unidentified individual:
After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and co-operation, this behaviour was immediately and proactively reported to investigators.
The devices seized from the mayor (two mobile phones and an iPad) were returned within days, the Times reported.
Several other Adams associates have been investigated by law enforcement in recent months. In July, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced charges against six people he believes used a straw donor scheme to illegally obtain public funds for Adams’ 2021 campaign.
All six individuals have pleaded not guilty.
Although, Adams stressed that none of his campaign staff were aware of the alleged scheme and did not participate in it.
Adams’ 2025 election campaign paid Suggs Solutions, Suggs’ consulting firm, about $98,000. Suggs, collecting donations for Adams’ campaign, also received money for lobbying his administration on behalf of a Manhattan property owner seeking a lease extension for a retail complex in a city-owned building.
Adams, a Democrat, had travelled to Washington on November 2 to meet with U.S. government officials about the asylum crisis for asylum seekers and other recently arrived migrants, but abruptly cancelled the meeting to return to New York.
