The FBI and New York City’s Department of Investigation searched the homes of at least two senior officials in the administration of Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday, according to two city officials familiar with the matter.
The searches involved the homes of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. Devices were seized while the warrants were being executed, officials confirmed.
A City Hall source said the latest search does not appear to be related to the ongoing investigation into the Adams campaign’s fundraising and possible ties to Turkish donors, suggesting a separate criminal investigation out of the Southern District of New York may be underway.
Adams’ City Hall Counsel Lisa Zornberg said in a statement that “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.”
Spokespeople for the SDNY, FBI and DOI declined to comment.
The searches of the officials’ homes comes nearly a year after Mayor Adams had a number of electronic devices seized by the FBI amid the federal investigation into his campaign’s fundraising efforts and potential links to foreign powers.
The New York City mayor was approached by federal officials after an event on Nov. 6, 2023, and he turned over several devices, his campaign lawyer confirmed. That included several electronic devices, including cellphones and an iPad, a source familiar with the matter told NBC New York at the time.
The mayor ignoed questions from the media after the FBI seized two of his phones and an iPad last week. News 4’s Melissa Russo reports.
That seizure came just days after federal authorities raided a Brooklyn residence connected to a campaign fundraiser. Neighbors and city records indicated the home that was searched belongs to Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.
Months later, in February 2024, agents carried out early-morning raids at two Bronx addresses, which records show were owned by Winnie Greco, a former fundraiser to Adams who now serves as a special advisor of Asian Affairs.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have remained quiet regarding what the investigation is about, but a search warrant obtained by the New York Times in 2023 indicated that investigators are examining whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources, funneled through straw donors.
