FBI agents seized phones and an iPad from New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week as part of an investigation into his campaign fundraising, his lawyer confirmed Friday. The seizures occurred after an incident Monday night, according to a statement from the mayor’s lawyer, Boyd Johnson. “On Monday night, the FBI approached the mayor following an incident. The mayor promptly complied with the FBI’s request and turned over his electronic devices,” the statement said. “The mayor has not been charged with any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with authorities in the investigation.”
The seizure of the equipment, first reported by the New York Times, came days after federal agents raided the Brooklyn home of Mr. Adams' campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs. It prompted the mayor to cancel a planned trip to Washington for meetings with White House officials in Washington about the issue of immigrant housing in New York.
Adams, a Democrat, did not comment on the seizure of his phones during a press conference Wednesday and said he was unaware of any legal violations by members of his campaign team. In a statement Friday, attorney Boyd Johnson said Adams has pledged to cooperate with the investigation. “After learning of the federal investigation, it was determined that an individual had recently acted inappropriately. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was reported to investigators,” he said, without providing further details.
A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney declined to comment. “As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to uphold the law and cooperate fully with any investigation — and I will continue to do just that. I have nothing to hide,” Mayor Adams, a former police captain, said in a statement.
The scope of the investigation has not been made public by prosecutors, but a search warrant obtained by the New York Times says authorities are investigating suspected collusion by Mayor Adams' campaign with the Turkish government to obtain funding from sources foreigners, through domestic persons or entities.
Mayor Adams said Wednesday that he had no personal knowledge of any inappropriate fundraising and did not believe he had reason to fear an investigation. Mr. Adams and Ms. Suggs have not been charged with any wrongdoing./VOA
