FBI agents seize electronic devices of New York Mayor Adams as part of a federal investigation into his campaign

NEW YORK – FBI agents stopped Mayor Eric Adams on the street earlier this week and confiscated multiple electronic devices from him as part of a federal investigation into allegations that the Turkish government funneled illegal foreign cash into his 2021 campaign coffers, the mayor’s lawyer confirmed Friday.

Boyd Johnson, a defense attorney hired by Adams after the FBI raided the home of his top campaign fundraiser last week as part of the same investigation, said agents asked the mayor to confiscate his devices after Monday night’s event .

“The mayor immediately complied with the FBI’s request and provided them with the electronic devices,” Johnson said in a statement. “The mayor has not been charged with any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation.”

An NYPD source familiar with law enforcement operations told the New York Daily News that the feds served the mayor with a warrant and seized at least two of his cellphones. The devices were returned to him several days later, the source said.

The seizure of the mayor’s devices marks an escalation of the investigation into his campaign and is likely the first time it has directly affected him.

“As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to obey the law and cooperate fully with any type of investigation — and I will continue to do exactly that,” Adams, a former NYPD captain, said in a written statement provided by his campaign. “I have nothing to hide”.

The event the mayor attended before meeting with the agents was a gala held at NYU near Washington Square Park in Manhattan, said Evan Thies, a spokesman for Adams’ 2021 campaign. Neither the mayor nor anyone from his campaign received the letters, according to Thies. from federal authorities informing them that they are the target of a federal investigation.

Johnson said that following an FBI search of the home of Brianna Suggs, Adams’ fundraising chief, on Thursday, “it was discovered that an individual had recently engaged in inappropriate behavior,” though he did not provide any further details.

“In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators,” he added.

Johnson did not identify the individual or his or her actions in connection with the seizure of the mayor’s cellphones.

According to the New York Times, which first reported the cellphone seizure, the investigation is looking into whether Adams’ campaign conspired with the Turkish government and a Brooklyn-based contractor, KSK Construction, to funnel illegal foreign cash into campaign accounts.

During the course of the investigation, Adams was not formally charged with a crime.

Adams has a long history of traveling to Turkey, including agreeing to a 2015 trip to Turkey funded by that country’s government – a decision that raised eyebrows during the 2021 campaign because of that government’s history of human rights abuses.

Two days after seizing the devices, Adams held his first news conference with reporters since federal officers raided Suggs’ home.

During this appearance, Adams made no mention of the FBI’s seizure of his devices. Asked if he was concerned about legal exposure in the investigation, he said he “would be shocked if someone found that our campaign coordinated illegal behavior.”

“I can’t describe how much I start my day telling my team, ‘We have to follow the law, we have to follow the law.’ It’s almost to the point of being annoying,” he said at a briefing Wednesday. “I just feel very strongly about following the law. So … it would really shock me if someone hired by my campaign did something wrong. It would not only shock me, it would hurt me.”

KSK Construction has ties to Turkey’s second-largest political party, and many of its executives have donated to the party’s American wing, according to the Daily News.

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