FBI agents seize NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ cell phones as part of federal fundraising inquiry
CNN — FBI agents have seized the cell phones and an iPad owned by New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of a federal investigation into campaign fundraising. A person familiar with the matter revealed the seizure on Friday, adding that it was pursued with a court-authorized search warrant.
The unprecedented move suggests a dramatic escalation of the probe into whether foreign money was funneled into the mayor’s campaign, directly implicating Adams, a Democrat. The investigation, led by the FBI and the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, has not resulted in any allegations of wrongdoing against the mayor at this time.
The seizure comes in the wake of a recent FBI raid on the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser, which aims to determine potential collusion between the mayor’s 2021 campaign and a Brooklyn-based construction company in funneling foreign money into the campaign’s coffers.
According to a spokesperson for Adams, the mayor voluntarily handed over his electronic devices following a request from the FBI, emphasizing his cooperation with the ongoing investigation and his commitment to transparency.
The probe is centered on allegations that foreign nationals, which are prohibited from making campaign contributions, may have orchestrated a scheme to “bundle” donations from US citizens of Turkish origin, thus masking the origins of the funds and circumventing campaign finance laws.
Adams, who has publicly highlighted his strong ties to the city’s Turkish American community, has faced questions over past visits to Turkey and connections to the Turkish Consulate. In light of these developments, the mayor’s campaign attorney and spokesperson have reiterated Adams’ innocence and continued cooperation with the investigation.
The US attorney’s office and the FBI declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, but sources familiar with the matter revealed that multiple search warrants have been executed at various locations throughout the New York area as part of the probe.
This story is still developing, and CNN’s John Miller, Paul P. Murphy, Jeff Winter, and Mark Morales have contributed to this report.