A federal grand jury has reportedly started reviewing evidence that has been collected in a criminal investigation into allegations of corruption involving New York City Democrat Mayor Eric Adams.
The investigation, which is being run out of the Southern District of New York, centers around allegations that Adams’ election campaign received illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government, possibly in-exchange for actions taken by Adams, who has close ties to the country.
“In the past three weeks at least one person connected to the mayor has received a federal subpoena from the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office with specific instructions prohibiting the recipient from speaking publicly about its contents,” The New York Daily News reported, according to a source.
Federal authorities raided homes of Adams campaign fundraisers, a member of City Hall, a member of his transition team, and a former Turkish Airlines executive last fall, the report said.
Adams was confronted by the FBI last fall and was forced to give up his cell phones and iPad, which were returned to him several days later.
The criminal probe has reportedly zeroed in on “free upgrades the mayor received on Turkish Airlines flights.”
The New York Times reported separately last fall that after he won the Democratic mayoral primary in the summer of 2021, Adams allegedly contacted then-Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro and pushed him to allow the Turkish government to at least have permission to occupy on a temporary basis a new high-rise consulate in Manhattan that they built, which fire officials would not sign off on because of safety issues.
Adams’ alleged intervention “paved the way” for Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to preside over the grand opening of their 35-story tower in September 2021, the report said. Fire officials said that there were serious safety concerns with the building’s fire safety system. The building, which cost $300 million, is the country’s most expensive foreign mission project, the report said.
Reporter asked Adams about the latest development in the case over the weekend to which he claimed he had “no idea” what was going on.
“I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer. I’m Eric Adams — the mayor! Ex-cop!” he said. “No idea. No idea. No idea.”
“They don’t tell me stuff. Let it follow the process … Speak to the counsel,” he later added. “The counsel will explain to you the normal process.”
