Well, now we know why New York City Mayor Eric Adams was in such a hurry to rush home despite his plans to travel to Washington DC. On Thursday, November 2, an unexpected raid was conducted at the house of Adams’ chief fundraiser Brianna Suggs.
The raid revealed a federal investigation into potential illegal foreign donations to his 2021 election campaign. The FBI had conducted the raid on Suggs’ Brooklyn residence and uncovered a search warrant involving possible straw donor schemes and campaign contributions by foreign nationals.
This has caused much concern among political circles in light of the mayor’s close ties with Turkey.
JUST IN: Feds raided the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, Mayor Adams' campaign fundraiser coordinator, this a.m.
Eyewitnesses told me FBI agents came out with a cardboard box. A source familiar said raid relates to Adams campaign donations.
Story coming via @NYDailyNews pic.twitter.com/ciy7d7454A
— Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) November 2, 2023
Brianna Suggs is an instrumental figure in Mayor Adams’ political journey who has been involved in raising funds for his campaigns since 2017 when she joined his office as an administrative intern during his tenure as the Brooklyn Borough President. She later ascended to the role of fundraiser and director of logistics for Adams’ victorious 2021 mayoral campaign, while currently being associated with the Kings County Democratic County Committee where she serves as a fundraiser.
According to ABC, Suggs has raised $18.4 million for Adam’s 2021 campaign and already amassed $900,000 for his 2025 re-election bid.
JUST IN: FBI raids home of NYC Mayor Eric Adams' fundraising chief Brianna Suggs..
According to The New York Times, the agents involved in the operation include members of the public corruption unit.
The specific reasons behind the investigation and the nature of their search… pic.twitter.com/t1waaAY7wE
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) November 2, 2023
The search warrant issued by federal prosecutors outlined investigations into potential straw donor schemes involving foreign donations, including “theft of federal funds and conspiracy to steal federal funds, wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, as well as campaign contributions by foreign nationals and conspiracy to make such contributions”.
A curious involvement with a construction firm based out of Brooklyn which has known links to Turkey was also probed along with an obscure university in Washington D.C., associated with Turkey which was connected to Mayor Adams’ campaign financing operations.
News about the raid reached Mayor Adams while he was en route from New York City to Washington D.C., where he had planned on speaking out against Biden’s policies regarding migrants crisis in New York State – something which made this news all the more shocking given its suddenness and gravity of implications it might have on his public image.
