Throughout September, Mayor Eric Adams and his colleagues have faced several federal investigations and raids. While there isn’t an official reason for the investigations, some were suspects of corruption and bribery. New reports also say that the federal investigations into Mayor Adams involve links between his 2021 campaign and six foreign countries.
Investigations have been swirling around Mayor Adams and his staff since last year. Last November, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized Adams’ electronic devices, including an iPad and cell phone, as a part of an investigation into whether his campaign received illegal foreign donations from Turkey using a Brooklyn construction company as a conduit. The FBI also searched Brianna Suggs, a campaign consultant and top fundraiser for Adams, and Rana Abbasova, Adams’s international affairs aid. The investigations on Adams’ fundraising continued into the next year as on February 24, the FBI scoured Winnie Greco, the mayor’s Director for Asian Affairs.
On September 12, just days after federal agents seized his phone, Edward A. Caban resigned as police commissioner. His attorneys, Russell Capone and Rebekah Donaleski, claim that they were informed that Caban wasn’t a target of the investigations. In his stead, former New York Homeland Security Director Tom G. Donlon was appointed as interim commissioner. Dolon’s homes were also searched and materials were seized. However, the classified documents were in his possession for over 20 years and the search warrants were unrelated to the police department. It’s unknown what agency conducted the searches.
Meanwhile, Raul Pintos, chief of staff under Caban and commander of two Queens precincts, also had his phone seized. Pintos plans to retire in October. Furthermore, Caban’s brother, James Caban, owner of a nightclub-security business, had his phone seized. James Caban appears to be under corruption investigation as federal investigators are looking to see if he potentially profited from ties with his brother and the NYPD.
Moreover, the FBI searched the upper Manhattan home of Sheena Wright, first deputy mayor on September 4. Meanwhile, her fiance, David C. Banks, the Chancellor of New York City Schools, resigned on September 24 in the wake of a raid on his house on September 11. The day before the beginning of the NYC school year, FBI agents came into his house early in the morning. The agents wanted his personal and Department of Education cell phones, both of which he willingly gave. While the phones were returned, Banks’ lawyer claimed that the chancellor isn’t a target in the investigations. Furthermore, his brothers Philip B. Banks III, the deputy mayor for public safety, and Terrance Banks, a consultant, were also raided. Terrance’s firm, Pearl Alliance, is potentially involved in a bribery scheme with NYC contracts. To that end, the investigators gathered information from Timothy Pearson, one of Adams closest confidants and a senior advisor.
Those who were investigated weren’t charged with a crime and the current investigations are unrelated to Adams’ potential connections with Turkey. In an interview with CBS, Adams clarifies that he doesn’t know the reasoning behind the federal investigations but states “I say over and over again, as a former member of law enforcement, I’m very clear. We follow the rules. We make sure that we cooperate and turn over any information that is needed and it just really would be inappropriate to get in the way of the review while it’s taking place.”
