In the early dawn of a recent Wednesday, federal agents dispersed to several eminent New York City officials’ residences, which included residences of two vice mayors and the commissioner of police; this information is according to various individuals connected with the investigation. The federal team paid visits to some prominent figures: Edward Caban, the Commissioner of the New York Police Department; Sheena Wright, the First Deputy Mayor; and Philip Banks III, the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety.
Additionally, a subpoena was handed over to Timothy Pearson, who held the post of a police inspector previously and presently serves Mayor Eric Adams as a distinguished advisor. Padlocks were put on electronic devices of these officials such as mobile phones, on getting orders from the investigating team from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. However, both the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York refrained from commenting on this recent enforcement act.
Information from three informed sources revolves around the fact that the inquiry focussed on police officials driven by the US attorney doesn’t have a link to the continuous and long-standing FBI’s investigation into officials at City Hall. Ever since the previous November, several officials from the mayor’s office were subjected to home inspection, seizure of their mobile phones, and record subpoenas. The FBI also seized the electronic gadgets of Mayor Adams.
Go-ahead was given by the investigators to issue subpoenas for the mobile phones of three police officials of lower ranks. An NYC Police Department spokesperson indicated that the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has been carrying out an investigation involving the NYPD members, and the Department is offering their full cooperation in this ongoing inquiry.
In November 2023, there was an FBI raid conducted at the residence of Brianna Suggs who was known to be the prime fundraiser of Adams. Similarly, the homes of Winnie Greco, a top aide, were raided earlier this year by the FBI on the grounds of a separate investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York.
In response to these developments, a statement was released by Lisa Zornberg, the Chief Counsel for City Hall. The statement held no indication that the mayor or his team are considered as targets of the investigation. Adding to her statement, Zornberg mentioned that, being an ex-law enforcement officer, the mayor has always emphasized on the importance of abiding by the law for all the team members.
These recent proactive moves have taken everyone by surprise, as it looks like there has been an enlargement in the federal investigators and prosecutors’ assortment of discrete investigations into New York city officials. Mayor Adams, on multiple occasions, negated any misdemeanors. He, or anyone in his administration, has not been accused formally of any criminal activities.
While the complete details of these ongoing investigations remain vague, information revealed by previous reports from media outlets suggest that one particular investigation is focused on if the election campaign collaborated with Turkish government officials in New York to guide donations towards Adam’s campaign.