FBI Probe Could Lead to Prison for NYC Mayor Eric Adams: Legal Analyst

The investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams' political fundraising during his 2021 campaign and alleged ties to the Turkish government could lead to prison time, according to legal analyst Ryan Goodman on Sunday.

Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign is the subject of an FBI probe looking into whether it allegedly conspired with Turkey to accept illegal foreign money contributions. As part of the ongoing investigation involving his top fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, the FBI seized Adams' electronic devices on Monday. The mayor and his campaign attorney confirmed the investigation on Friday after the FBI initially approached Adams, but have denied any wrongdoing. The seizure of the devices came four days after federal agents searched Suggs' home in Brooklyn.

The initial investigations stem from three American members of the board of the Turken Foundation, which was founded by Bilal Erdoğan, the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who donated $6,000 to Adams' campaign between 2018 and 2021, according to the website The City.

On Sunday, The New York Times reported that federal authorities are also investigating whether Adams, weeks before his 2021 election, pressured New York Fire Department (FDNY) officials to sign off on the Turkish government's new high-rise consulate in Manhattan despite safety concerns with the building.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Goodman, a former special counsel at the Department of Defense (DOD) and a New York University law professor, shared the Times' report and wrote that with the expanding investigation into more of Adams' conduct and connection with the Turkish government it could increase the mayor's risk of receiving prison time.

"Criminal investigation of Mayor Eric Adams. FBI public corruption investigation is NOT limited to Adams' campaign. Involves potential quid pro quo by Adams directly with Turkish Government. Conduct that would increase risk of indictment and prison," Goodman wrote.

In response to the recent investigations, City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg said in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Sunday, "The mayor and our team are continuing to work with investigators and cooperate. We hope that investigators will continue to cooperate with us and reprimand any federal officer who has improperly leaked details about this investigation as such conduct could prejudice the public and undermines the integrity of our law enforcement process."

Newsweek has reached out to Goodman via email for comment.

According to the Times, after winning the Democratic mayoral primary in July 2021, Adams contacted then-FDNY Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro and allegedly urged him to allow the Turkish government to occupy the high-rise consulate building at least on a temporary basis, despite it being closed due to fire officials citing safety issues as they declined to sign off on its occupancy.

In another X post, Goodman continued to break down details of the investigation laid out by the Times by referencing the mayor's response to the newspaper, in regards to the allegations, as a "bad defense."

"Bad defense: Adams: 'As a borough president, part of my routine role was to notify government agencies of issues on behalf of constituents and constituencies.' NYT: 'as Brooklyn borough president, a largely ceremonial job whose authority did not extend to the Manhattan site,'" he wrote.

Since the investigations began, Adams, who is up for reelection in 2025, said in a statement on Friday, "As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation, and I will continue to do exactly that. I have nothing to hide."

In regards to the raid at Suggs' home last week, the mayor also reiterated in earlier statements that he had no personal knowledge of any improper fundraising, and didn't believe he had anything to personally fear from the investigation.

"After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly," campaign attorney Boyd Johnson previously told Newsweek in a statement. "In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators. The mayor has been and remains committed to cooperating in this manner."

Johnson added that the mayor "remains committed to cooperating in this manner" and that he "has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation."

However, this is not first time Adams has been tied to Turkish campaign contributions. In 2018, his campaign received $12,600 from two board members of the Turkish American Steering Committee, according to The City. This group was led by an individual connected to Erdoğan's political party.

Adams has previously said his frequent trips to Turkey were made to attract international business to New York.

"We just thought it was a great opportunity to exchange ideas as we do with all these...countries, and we want to attract businesses here," he said, according to The City. "So Turkey, as well as any other country, I want to attract people to the city. There's nothing specific about that one particular country."