On September 16, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in New York issued a reminder to the public regarding the indictment of two former high-ranking officials from the New York City Fire Department, stating that over ten high-ranking officials in the city government are under investigation. However, most of the officials who have been searched have not yet been charged. During a press conference held on September 17, Mayor Adams was extensively questioned about matters related to these investigations. His response mainly focused on the achievements made and he believed that the people of New York are concerned about public safety and major welfare issues, implying that corruption cases are not the people’s concern.
In November 2023, the FBI raided the home of Adam’s senior aide Brianna Suggs for investigation. Suggs, 25, was a key fundraiser and chief advisor during Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign.
The federal government’s search warrant stated that they were looking for evidence of embezzlement of federal funds, wire fraud, conspiracy to steal federal funds, and conspiracy, as part of a public corruption investigation. They were also investigating whether cash was illegally funneled into Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign.
There are also reports of investigations involving the mayor’s alleged ties to the Turkish government and allegations of accepting money in exchange for favors.
Last summer, the FBI confiscated Adams’ cellphone;
This summer, Manhattan federal prosecutors ordered the City Hall, Adams’ campaign team, and the mayor himself to hand over documents, texts, and other records related to the investigation.
In February of this year, federal agents raided the Bronx home of another Chinese assistant to Adams, Winnie Greco, in an attempt to search for emails and records related to Adams’ visits to China during his tenure as Brooklyn Borough President.
It is not yet clear which overseas evidence the federal government is interested in regarding Adams, but it is worth noting that the investigation into Greco is being led by the U.S. Eastern District Attorney’s Office in New York.
On the 4th of this month, FBI agents raided the homes of two family members of Police Commissioner Edward Caban and Education Director David Banks – his girlfriend, Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and his brother, Philip Banks III.
Although no one has been charged in this raid, it resulted in Caban, who had worked for the NYPD for over 30 years, resigning. Federal authorities are also reportedly looking into Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, who acts as a mediator between Manhattan luxury restaurants and nightclubs and the police department.
Similarly, the FBI has issued a subpoena to another brother of the Education Director, Terence Banks.
Although local prosecutors have not charged the individuals searched, the media has reported that these searches are related to corruption and abuse of power for personal gain. The Associated Press revealed that investigators are looking into whether Terence’s company used his family ties to help private companies obtain city contracts, thereby violating the law.
Following the above investigations, this week on Monday (September 16), two former senior officials from the New York City Fire Department were charged with illegally accepting proceeds by using their authority to expedite the processing of fire safety certificates for buildings.
Last weekend, Adam’s Chief Legal Advisor, Lisa Zornberg, suddenly resigned.
When asked at a routine press conference on Tuesday, “Do you understand people’s concerns about this?” Adams replied, “I do not understand.” He then stated that what he heard at numerous district town hall meetings were people’s concerns about public safety, housing, education, and employment, “I don’t know if you’ve seen a mayor like me who interacts with the public as frequently,” and “Your job is to report and ask questions, my job is to take care of the people of this city.”