New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ chief fundraiser was subject to an FBI raid on Thursday morning as part of an investigation into potential campaign finance violations. According to law enforcement officials, the FBI is looking into whether Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign conspired with a Brooklyn-based construction company to funnel foreign money into the campaign. Investigators are seeking evidence that foreign nationals may have acted as “straw contributors” by getting US citizens of Turkish origin to make donations on their behalf. This alleged scheme would have allowed foreign money to be disguised as donations from American citizens. CNN has reached out to the State Department and the Turkish Embassy for comment.
Adams responded to the investigation by stating that he holds himself and his campaign to high standards and feels comfortable with his compliance to rules and procedures. FBI agents executed search warrants at various locations throughout New York City, including the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs. Suggs has also been subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury. She is a crucial player in Adams’ fundraising efforts, and his reelection campaign has already raised over $2.5 million. Suggs’ spokesperson declined to comment.
Adams spoke highly of Suggs, calling her a professional and expressing confidence in her. He denied any knowledge of improper fundraising activity and vowed to work with officials to respond to inquiries. The FBI searches are part of an investigation by the agency’s Public Corruption squad. The investigators seized phones, computers, tablets, and files from Suggs, and one of the searched companies is KSK Construction Group in Brooklyn, which has connections to a Turkish hotel chain.
A review of campaign finance records revealed that employees of KSK Construction Group donated a total of $13,950 to Adams’ mayoral campaign on the same day. CNN reached out to the donors and Erden Arkan, the owner of KSK Construction Group, who also donated to the campaign. The Adams campaign confirmed its commitment to complying with inquiries and stated that the mayor had not been contacted as part of the investigation.
Adams canceled his trip to Washington, DC, to address the migrant crisis in order to return to New York. He has previously emphasized his ties to the Turkish American community and has made multiple visits to Turkey. His mayoral campaign received financial support following these visits, including a fundraiser hosted by Turkish American supporters in 2018.
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