FBI seizes New York mayor’s phones
The electronic devices of Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, were seized by the FBI as part of an investigation into his campaign financing, one of his lawyers said Friday.
Updated November 11, 2023, 02:20
Eric Adams during a celebration in honor of veterans in New York, November 9, 2023.
Getty Images via AFP
The seizures are believed to be linked to a corruption investigation into whether Eric Adams conspired with the government and Turkish nationals during his 2021 New York mayoral campaign.
“On Monday evening, the FBI approached the mayor after an event. The mayor immediately responded to the FBI’s request and handed over electronic devices,” said Boyd Johnson, the campaign’s lawyer, in a statement sent to AFP. “He has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation.”
The federal investigation into Eric Adams’ campaign became public last week when FBI agents searched the home of his campaign’s fundraising manager – 25-year-old intern Brianna Suggs – and seized computers and cell phones as well as a cardboard folder marked “Eric Adams.”
Last week, following the search, the mayor hurriedly left Washington, where he was scheduled to meet with White House and Congressional officials about the influx of migrants in his city, to return to New York .
“Nothing to hide”
“I expect all members of my team to follow the law and cooperate fully with any form of investigation,” said Eric Adams in a statement released Friday. “This is exactly what I will continue to do,” he declared, assuring that he “has nothing to hide.”
According to the “New York Times”, the search warrant for Brianna Suggs’ home was aimed at obtaining evidence of a conspiracy between the mayor’s campaign, the Turkish government and a Brooklyn real estate developer whose owners are Turkish.
The warrant reportedly said authorities were investigating whether donations from the government or Turkish nationals were made to Eric Adams through a system in which fake contributors were allegedly listed. The link between the seizure of the mayor’s devices and the search of Brianna Suggs’s home is not yet clear.
In his statement, Boyd Johnson indicated that “after learning of the federal investigation, it has become apparent that an individual has recently acted inappropriately,” without specifying the details of the investigation to which he was referring.
(AFP)Show comments
2023-11-11 01:20:40
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