Adams’ Associates Face Multiple Investigations Over​ 2021 Mayoral⁤ Election

Mayor Adams’ close aides⁤ have been the subject of investigations over allegations of illegal donations in the ​2021 New‌ York City mayoral election. The incidents have been⁣ reported in⁣ chronological order.

In July 2021, the Manhattan⁤ District Attorney’s Office ​indicted six of the mayor’s close aides on suspicion of⁢ directing ⁤”straw donations,” the practice of‌ making political contributions under someone⁣ else’s ​name. This was followed by the indictment of ​former city Building Commissioner Eric Ulrich⁣ on bribery charges​ in ​September. In ‌October,‍ two of ⁢the six indicted, the Mushtaq brothers, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor conspiracy charges.

The‌ FBI raided the homes of top fundraising intern Brianna ⁣Suggs,‍ as well as⁣ the homes of‍ international affairs adviser Rana Abbasova and​ Cenk‌ Ocal, a⁢ former Turkish Airlines executive​ who served on the ⁣transition team, in ‌November. The FBI also seized Adams’ cellphone and other electronic devices days later.

In early February 2023, former city​ police ⁤inspector Dwayne Montgomery, who was previously indicted, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor conspiracy and directing straw donations. The FBI searched the home of Winnie ​Greco, the mayor’s top‌ adviser ⁤and fundraiser, at ⁢the end of February. A Chinese billionaire who ‌donated to‍ the mayor in the ⁢2021 election pleaded guilty to a separate⁤ straw​ donation case in mid-March. Construction company​ owner Shamsuddin Riza pleaded guilty to conspiring to make illegal donations ​in mid-April. The mayor ‌and his campaign staff received‍ federal subpoenas in⁢ July. On September 4, the FBI searched the homes of the mayor’s closest aides, First Deputy Mayor ⁤Sheena⁢ Wright and Deputy ⁤Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks.

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