All the times the feds have raided members of Eric Adams’ admin (that we know of)

Federal agents are once again knocking on the door of the Eric Adams administration. On Wednesday morning, they raided the homes of multiple top mayoral officials, The City first reported. The searches are reportedly part of a new investigation being conducted by the Southern District of New York, not related to previous probes into campaign finance corruption.

While the full scope of the already ongoing campaign finance investigation is still unclear, it has focused at least in part on whether Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign conspired with Turkish officials to receive illegal foreign donations and pressured the New York City Fire Department to fast-track approval on Turkey’s new Manhattan consulate despite safety concerns. It also appears to involve valuable free flight upgrades investigators believe the mayor received from Turkish Airlines. 

Separately, the Eastern District of New York is reportedly looking into Adams’ aide Winnie Greco in connection with a straw donor scheme first uncovered by The City.

Adams has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He’s continuously maintained that he’s cooperating with that investigation and has not broken the law. In a statement, City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg said, "Investigators have not indicated to us the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation. As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has repeatedly made clear that all members of the team need to follow the law."

Here’s a breakdown of the moments that investigations into the Adams administration and campaign have burst into public view. This is a developing story.

Nov. 2, 2023: The feds raided the home of Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs early in the morning, The New York Times reported, seizing multiple devices and documents. The mayor was on his way to Washington that day to discuss the influx of migrants to New York City with the Biden administration, but he canceled his meetings and returned to the city. The Times later reported that separate teams were carrying out searches on two other individuals with ties to Turkey that same day – Rana Abbasova, an aide in Adams’ international affairs office, and Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on his transition team, two people said.

Nov. 6, 2023: F.B.I. agents seized Adams’ electronic devices after he attended an event in Manhattan in a dramatic escalation, asking his security personnel to step away before joining the mayor in his vehicle. The devices – at least two cell phones and an iPad – were returned a few days later. A lawyer representing Adams and his campaign said the mayor was cooperating with federal authorities, adding he’d already “proactively reported” at least one incident involving an individual that “recently acted improperly.”

Feb. 29, 2024: The feds conducted a Leap Day raid at the two Bronx homes of Adams aide Winnie Greco and at New World Mall in Flushing, Queens, after The City reported on a possible straw donor scheme connected to the New World Mall. This investigation is reportedly being conducted by the Eastern District of New York. 

July 2024: City Hall, Adams and his 2021 mayoral campaign committee received a new set of federal grand jury subpoenas in July seeking a variety of materials, including text messages, other areas of communications and documents, The New York Times reported. The subpoenas were reportedly in connection with the Turkey investigation.

Sept. 4, 2024: Federal agents raided the homes of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and schools Chancellor David Banks (who live together) and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks early in the morning, The City first reported. The agents reportedly confiscated the officials’ devices. The Times reported that these raids appear to be unrelated to the ongoing Turkey corruption probe into the mayor’s campaign fundraising, but that the investigation is also being conducted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. 

NY1 reported that search warrants were also executed on Police Commissioner Edward Caban and top Adams aide Tim Pearson. The New York Post reported that the raids also included Terence Banks, brother of Phil and David Banks, and James Caban, brother of Edward Caban. The raids extended further into the NYPD, with the phones of NYPD Chief of Staff Raul Pintos and two precinct commanders in Manhattan and Queens requested, per the Post.