FBI probes NYC Mayor Adams’ pressure to open consulate for Turkish government

Nov 13, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Editor)

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Amid an FBI investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign, a new report has surfaced alleging Adams pressured NYC fire officials in July 2021 to sign off on a 35-story high-rise Turkish consulate despite documented safety concerns. The New York Times reported that sources said Adams pushed for the consulate to open at the request of the Turkish Consulate General.

I have not been accused of wrongdoing, and I will continue to cooperate with investigators.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams

The mayor wanted the building open by September 2021 while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in the city for the United Nations General Assembly. According to the Times report, the problem was that it wasn’t up to fire safety standards.

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The FBI is now considering Mayor Adams’ apparent intervention in its broader corruption investigation, looking into whether the Adams campaign team illegally funneled money from Turkey into Adams’ mayoral campaign.

FBI seizes NYC Mayor Eric Adams' phones in campaign investigation https://t.co/z9t4opTEPP pic.twitter.com/v1FD2M5WOP
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 11, 2023

The FBI searched the home of Mayor Adams’ chief campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, 25, on Nov. 2, taking boxes filled with materials along with several electronic devices.

Adams spoke on the news of the raid shortly after.

“I hold my campaign to the ethical standards; any inquiry that is done, we are going to fully participate and make sure that it’s done correctly,” Adams said. “I have not been contacted by anyone from any law enforcement agency, and that is why I came back from D.C. to be here, to be on the ground and look at this inquiry as it was made.”

On Sunday, Nov. 12, Adams reacted to the news on the consulate probe, calling on federal investigators to plug the information leak.

In his statement, the mayor asserted that he had not been accused of wrongdoing.

“As a borough president, part of my routine role was to notify government agencies of issues on behalf of constituents and constituencies. I have not been accused of wrongdoing, and I will continue to cooperate with investigators,” Adams said.

This news comes days after Mayor Adams’ office announced its own internal investigation into its campaign contributions. Adams is standing by his campaign’s chief fundraiser, Suggs, adding that her position on the campaign team is still hers.

Tags: Eric Adams, FBI, New York City, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The New York Times, Turkey, United Nations

FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS HAVE THEIR SIGHTS SET ON NEW YORK CITY MAYOR – ERIC ADAMS – AMID REPORTS THAT HE PRESSURED FIRE OFFICIALS IN JULY 2021 TO GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO OPEN A 35-STORY HIGH-RISE TURKISH CONSULATE DESPITE DOCUMENTED FIRE-SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT THE MANHATTAN HIGH-RISE

NBC Nightly News: “THE FBI SEIZING ELECTRONIC DEVICES BELONGING TO MAYOR ERIC ADAMS AS PART OF A CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION – TAKING THEM FROM HIM RIGHT ON A CITY STREET.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTING THAT SOURCES SAY ADAMS PUSHED FOR THE CONSULATE TO OPEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE TURKISH CONSULATE GENERAL. . THE MAYOR WANTING THE BUILDING OPEN BY SEPTEMBER 2021 WHILE TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN WAS IN THE CITY FOR THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY…

THE PROBLEM – IT WASN’T UP TO FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS – ACCORDING TO THE TIMES REPORT…

THE MAYORS APPARENT INTERVENTION IS NOW BEING LOOKED AT BY THE FBI IN ITS BROADER CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION LOOKING INTO WHETHER THE ADAMS CAMPAIGN TEAM ILLEGALLY FUNNELED MONEY FROM TURKEY INTO ADAMS MAYORAL CAMPAIGN…

THE FBI SEARCHED THE HOME OF MAYOR ADAMS’ CHIEF CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER – 25-YEAR-OLD BRIANNA SUGGS, ON NOVEMBER SEDOND… TAKING BOXES FILLED WITH MATERIALS ALONG WITH SEVERAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES.

MAYOR ADAMS SPOKE ON THE NEWS OF THE RAID SHORTLY AFTER…

Mayor Adams: “I hold my campaign to the ethical standards, any inquiry that is done we are going to fully participate, and make sure that its done correctly. I have not been contacted by anyone from any law enforcement agency and that is why I came back from D.C. to be here to be on the ground and look at this inquiry as it was made.”

ON SUNDAY ADAMS REACTED TO THE NEWS ON THE CONSULATE PROBE, CALLING ON FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS TO PLUG THE LEAK OF INFORMATION..

CBS News: “Tonight Mayor Adams says he wants leaks of the FBI Investigation into his campaign to stop…”

IN HIS STATEMENT MAYOR ADAMS HAS ASSERTED THAT HE HAS NOT BEEN ACCUSED OF ANY WRONG-DOING..

QUOTE: “AS A BOROUGH PRESIDENT, PART OF MY ROUTINE ROLE WAS TO NOTIFY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OF ISSUES ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENTS AND CONSTITUENCIES. I HAVE NOT BEEN ACCUSED OF WRONGDOING, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO COOPERATE WITH INVESTIGATORS.”

THIS NEWS COMES DAYS AFTER MAYOR ADAMS’ OFFICE ANNOUNCED ITS OWN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION INTO ITS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS – ADAMS IS STANDING BY HIS CAMPAIGN’S CHIEF FUNDRAISER – SUGGS – ADDING THAT HER POSITION ON THE CAMPAIGN TEAM IS STILL HERS…