NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors recently issued subpoenas in their investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign, marking a new escalation in the ongoing investigation.
City Hall confirmed Thursday night that the board had received a subpoena in July, and attorneys representing the Democratic mayor and his campaign said in a statement that they were “in the process of responding” to subpoenas. “We have found no evidence of illegal conduct by the mayor,” the attorneys added.
The subpoenas, first reported by The New York Times, are the latest development in an investigation that has cast a shadow over the leader of America’s largest city. The probe was made public in November, when Adams’ telephones and electronic tablets were seized and agents raided the home of a top fundraiserNews of the federal subpoenas comes days before Adams is scheduled to attend court next week. Democratic National Convention.
The Attorney General’s Office has not commented on the investigation, but The Times reported in November that it had obtained a search warrant showing that investigators were looking into, among other things, whether Adams’ campaign colluded with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources through front men.
According to the newspaper, the search warrant also requested information about Adams’ use of New York City’s matching funds program, which offers candidates an amount eight times greater than the first donation made by a city resident.
In an interview which aired on WABC On Thursday evening, the mayor confirmed that he would comply with the summonses.
“When you see the subpoena, you respond. We’re going to cooperate fully with any review that takes place,” Adams said. “And I think at the end of the day it will show that we have done that, there is no criminality here. Our team is going to get all the information that the federal government is seeking, we’re going to turn it over to them in the appropriate manner.”
Adams has said he had “no knowledge, direct or indirect, of any improper fundraising activity.”
The FBI and federal prosecutors declined to comment.
Neither City Hall nor the mayor’s attorneys would comment further on the subpoenas, including what they are seeking. The Times reported that the subpoenas are grand jury subpoenas and that they are seeking text messages, other communications and documents related to fundraising and travel by Adams and others.
The Times and other news organizations are also investigating whether Adams — while working at another office in the city — improperly attempted to help the Turkish government get city approval to open a Manhattan building with diplomatic facilities in 2021, despite concerns about the skyscraper’s fire safety systems.
Adams was then Brooklyn’s borough president, an official with limited power over city government. But he was the Democratic candidate for mayor and was widely expected to win.
Adams said he contacted the then fire commissioner “to find out what happened,” but did not direct the official to do anything. Adams has maintained that he was simply fulfilling his duty as an elected official to help voters, such as those of Turkish descent, navigate city government.
The former fire commissioner and the Turkish consulate declined to comment.
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Associated Press editor Karen Matthews contributed to this report.