FBI agents executed the confiscation of phones and an iPad from New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week as part of an ongoing inquiry into his campaign fundraising activities, as confirmed by his legal representative on Friday.
According to Newsmax, these electronic devices were taken by the FBI following an event on Monday night, as disclosed in a statement by the mayor’s attorney, Boyd Johnson. The statement clarified that “On Monday night, the FBI approached the mayor after an event. The Mayor immediately complied with the FBI’s request and provided them with electronic devices. The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation.”
This device seizure, initially reported by The New York Times, occurred in the wake of federal agents searching the Brooklyn residence of Brianna Suggs, the top fundraiser for Adams’ campaign. Subsequently, Mayor Adams canceled a planned visit to meet with White House officials in Washington and returned to New York.
Mayor Adams, a member of the Democratic Party, made no public statements about the seizure of his phones when he met with reporters on Wednesday and stated that he was unaware of any misconduct involving members of his campaign team.
In a statement released on Friday, Johnson asserted that Adams was committed to collaborating with the investigation. He mentioned, “After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators,” without providing further specifics.
The spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in Manhattan declined to comment on the matter.
“As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation—and I will continue to do exactly that. I have nothing to hide,” Mayor Adams, a former police captain, affirmed in a statement.
Although the precise focus of the investigation has not been publicly disclosed by prosecutors, a search warrant obtained by The New York Times indicated that authorities are examining whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources, routed through straw donors.
Mayor Adams, in his statements on Wednesday, claimed to have no personal knowledge of improper fundraising and expressed no personal concern about the investigation. Neither Adams nor Suggs have been publicly accused of any wrongdoing.
At that time, the mayor’s chief City Hall lawyer had confirmed that the administration was communicating with federal prosecutors but declined to elaborate on the nature of those communications.