New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under investigation for possible involvement in a "foreign government influence peddling" scheme through fundraising, Breitbart reported. The home of Brianna Suggs, the mayor’s chief fundraiser, was raided by the NYPD and FBI Thursday in connection with the probe.
The raid happened in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in the early morning hours. Reports state that FBI agents took boxes of evidence from Suggs' residence, which was one of many locations searched in connection with the allegations.
An attorney for Adams maintains the mayor's ignorance of the raid. "Mayor Adams has not been contacted as part of this inquiry. He has always held the campaign to the highest standards," the attorney added.
The mayor made a statement reassuring the public following the raid. "You probably heard the reports involving one of my campaign staffers, and listen, everyone knows me. I comply with the rules," he said.
"We’re going to comply with any inquiry, and we will all do that. That is what we do," Adams added.
"I have not been contacted by anyone involving this, and I’m just going to continue running this city, the greatest city on the globe," the mayor claimed. Adams was forced to cancel a meeting about illegal immigration at the White House.
"The mayor heard of an issue related to the campaign, and takes these issues seriously, so he wanted to get back to New York as quickly as possible," Deputy Mayor Fabian Levy explained. "He plans to return to Washington and reschedule these meetings as soon as he can."
Suggs, who raked in $100,000 over the past two years as a lobbyist and fundraiser for Adams, was questioned, but nothing incriminating was found according to reports. She has cooperated with investigators from the FBI and others investigating public corruption.
One source claims Adams may have received kickbacks from a construction company with ties to Turkey, the New York Times reported. The Brooklyn-based KSK Construction Group supplied some $14,000 in donations to the 2021 campaign through individuals who worked for it.
It's notable that Adams has touted his own affinity for the country and boasted about a visit there during a recent flag-raising ceremony. "I think I’m on my sixth or seventh visit," Adams said last week.
At least one of those was paid for by the Turkish government while Adams was still the borough president of Brooklyn. If Adams is innocent, it's curious that he's somehow surrounded by people in legal trouble due to their conduct while fundraising for his campaign.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted six people in July in connection with a scheme to direct illegal donations to the mayor's campaign in 2021. One of those indicted was a retired police inspector who palled around with and worked for Adams.
In September, Bragg indicted Eric Lurich, a senior adviser and previous buildings commissioner for Adams, for bribe-taking and conspiracy, among over a dozen other charges. Lurich was one of four people indicted who created a fundraiser for Adams' 2021 campaign.
Only time will tell whether Adams is guilty of the alleged crimes being investigated. However, it would not be a shock that a New York City Democratic mayor is corrupt, especially when so many around him are already falling like dominoes.
