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First Mayor Indicted
Adams is the first mayor in New York City’s history to be indicted while in office. He was sworn in as the city’s 110th mayor in Times Square within the first moments of 2022, flanked by supporters — including some who have since been swept up in federal probes. The investigation by the Southern District of New York into the Adams administration and campaign first became public nearly a year ago on Nov. 2, 2023, when the Brooklyn home of Adams’ top political fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, was raided by the FBI. The mayor had just arrived in Washington. D.C. for a meeting about asylum-seekers, then abruptly returned to New York City to address what his staff called “a matter.” The federal probe reportedly centered on whether the Adams campaign coordinated with Turkish-linked groups, companies and people to inject foreign money into his campaign in exchange for favors. That same day, nearly 100 FBI agents fanned out across the region to execute search warrants at a dozen locations, including the homes of Rana Abbasova, Adams’ liaison to the Turkish community, and former Turkish Airlines executive Cenk Öcal, who served on Adams’ transition team. Days later, the mayor’s own phones and personal devices were temporarily seized by the FBI as part of their investigation. THE CITY later reported on many of the donations tied to Turkish nationals, including $10,000 from employees of Bay Atlantic University, a small Turkish-owned institution based in Washington, D.C., and a cluster of contributions tied to KSK Construction Company, both targets of federal investigators. Internal documents obtained by THE CITY show that city campaign finance regulators had repeatedly asked Eric Adams’ mayoral campaign about the KSK donations. The New York Times reported this week that federal authorities had expanded the probe to look at Adams’s connections to five other countries: Israel, China, Uzbekistan, Qatar, and South Korea. Adams has visited Turkey on at least six occasions, including trips while he was Brooklyn borough president. On two of those trips, THE CITY reported, Adams met with officials at a university affiliated with Bay Atlantic. Federal investigators also looked into the existence of an internal list that expedited fire department inspections at certain development sites, which allegedly included the Turkish government, THE CITY reported last fall.Adams Exit?
As investigations swirled, many people called for the mayor to resign. After the indictment, Adams said he would not step down — but he could be removed by others. He could be forced out of the job by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has emergency powers to remove a sitting mayor, although those have never been used. Adams could also be removed through an “inability committee,” which is made up of the corporation counsel (an attorney representing the city — and a position that is currently vacant), the city comptroller (Brad Lander), the speaker of the City Council (Adrienne Adams), one deputy mayor selected by Adams, and the borough president who has served the most consecutive years in office (currently Queens Borough President Donovan Richards). That panel would convene the entire City Council who could then vote to remove Adams, according to Section 10 of the charter. To take that step, the Council would need at least two-thirds of its members to vote for removal. If Adams were to leave office under any terms, he would be succeeded by the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, and a special election would be held to elect a new mayor.Feds Circle
The scope of federal investigations into Adams’ inner circle has since grown expansively, ensnaring two deputy mayors, a police commissioner, the mayor’s Asian affairs advisor and a top aide and longtime friend. On Feb. 29, federal authorities raided two Bronx homes owned by Winnie Greco, a longtime volunteer and liaison to the city’s Asian American community. The raids followed investigations by THE CITY into her fundraising for Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign, including allegedly selling admittance to Gracie Mansion events in exchange for donations of upwards of $10,000 to her non-profit. That same month, Adams became the target of a sexual harassment notice-of-claim, that became a full lawsuit on March 18. On Sept. 5, THE CITY was the first to report that First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and her fiance, schools chancellor David Banks, had their Harlem home raided and their electronic devices seized by authorities. At the same time, Philip Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety and David’s brother, also had his phones seized at his Queens home as part of a probe. A third Banks brother, Terence, also had his phones seized by authorities along with former Police Commissioner Edward Caban and his twin brother, James, himself a former police officer. Weeks later, Caban resigned from his post and was replaced by interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon — who on Sept. 21 had the feds raid his home, too, but for documents he had from decades earlier. Tim Pearson, a longtime friend of Adams and senior advisor working on the migrant response, also had devices seized at his Long Island home earlier this month. Since those raids, a flood of Adams administration appointees have either left or announced they will leave soon. Among them was chief counsel Lisa Zornberg, whose sudden exit was reportedly the result of the mayor ignoring her suggestion to cut ties with Pearson, whose home was raided in September by the FBI. Schools Chancellor David Banks, whose phones were also seized as part of the investigations, announced just weeks after the start of school that he will retire at the end of the year. Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan also announced that he will leave his position in early January. Last November, the mayor defended his administration after news reports on the investigation – and reiterated his team has always followed the law. Although every mayoral administration over the last 45 years has been the target of some sort of corruption investigation, a New York City mayor has never been charged with crimes.Adams Rises
Born in Brooklyn and raised in southeast Queens, Adams first gained prominence as a police officer who looked to reform the NYPD from the inside. He has often said he joined the department after being assaulted by officers inside the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, Queens when he was arrested as a teen. The arrest, however, has never been confirmed and Adams sometimes offers different versions of the story when speaking in public. Once he joined the force, he co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care and was also a former chair of the Grand Council of Guardians, fraternal organizations that frequently criticized the NYPD. His outspokenness about police brutality and other issues made him a target of harassment from other officers and. As he ran for mayor, he told THE CITY that he was shot at in 1996, and he suspects it could have been by a fellow officer. Adams spent 22 years with the police department before running for State Senate in 2006. He was elected as Brooklyn borough president in 2013. This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.Our nonprofit newsroom relies on readers to sustain our local reporting and keep it free for all New Yorkers. DONATE to THE CITY
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