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

Things are heating up at City Hall. 

There are at least four federal corruption investigations surrounding the mayor and his administration. Over the past couple of weeks, federal authorities have raided the homes, seized devices, and issued subpoenas to a number of top mayoral officials. Two major officials have resigned: New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban (at the behest of City Hall) and chief legal counsel Lisa Zornberg.

While there’s still a great deal of unknowns, some information has emerged about the ongoing federal probes.

One ongoing Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s office investigation appears to focus 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.

Another SDNY investigation appears to center on whether former police officer James Caban – Edward Caban’s brother – profited from his family connection while he sold consulting services to city nightclubs. Federal agents seized both brothers’ phones along with a handful of other police officials’ devices. 

Another SDNY investigation is looking at a potential bribery scheme involving a consulting operation run by Terence Banks – the brother of schools Chancellor David Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. Reporting indicates that federal authorities are looking at the awarding of city contracts. In early September, federal agents raided the homes of the three Banks brothers as well as First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright (David Banks’ partner) and senior adviser Tim Pearson.

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 charged with a crime. Nor have any of the other officials who’ve been probed for information from the F.B.I.  It’s entirely possible that some of the individuals who’ve been visited by federal agents over the last couple of weeks are only witnesses. The mayor has continuously maintained that he and his administration are cooperating with the investigations. In a statement on Sept. 5, then-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 story was updated on Sept. 23.

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.”

Nov. 15, 2023: Adams announced a legal defense fund aimed at covering expenses tied to the inquiries into his 2021 mayoral campaign. 

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 then-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 former NYPD Chief of Staff Raul Pintos and two precinct commanders in Manhattan and Queens requested, per the Post. 

Sept. 12, 2024: Facing pressure from City Hall, Caban resigned as police commissioner, attributing his decision to the distractions the investigations have had on the NYPD. Adams appointed Tom Donlon, a veteran former FBI and counterterrorism official, as the interim police commissioner. 

Sept. 14, 2024: Lisa Zornberg, Adams’ top legal counsel, resigned abruptly late on a Saturday night. While her brief resignation letter didn’t include a specific reason for her departure, she wrote “I am tendering my resignation, effective today, as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my position.” The Daily News later reported that Zornberg’s resignation came after Adams rejected her advice to fire Phil Banks, Pearson and other top administration officials linked to the federal corruption investigations.

Sept. 16, 2024: Retired fire department chiefs Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino were arrested on federal charges for allegedly accepting $190,000 in bribes in exchange for expediting building safety inspections. The scheme started under former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration and appears to be unrelated to the federal corruption investigations into Adams’ orbit.

Sept. 20, 2024: Federal agents delivered a subpoena to Molly Schaeffer, the director of the city’s Office of Asylum-Seeker Operations, at her Brooklyn home, requesting information about her communication with Pearson. The City reported that Pearson, who met with Schaeffer regularly, had delayed a contract with a migrant services provider for three months without explanation despite the fact that it was approved by New York City Health + Hospitals. 

Sept. 21, 2024: Federal agents searched Donlon’s home roughly a week after his appointment, seizing materials that were reportedly unrelated to his work at the NYPD. According to the Times, the materials were classified documents that Donlon – who has a long background in federal law enforcement, including the F.B.I – had on hand for years. It’s unclear which of his former positions were connected to the materials.