FBI Raids Homes of Another Aide to Mayor Eric Adams and Ex-Turkish Airlines Official in Connection with Corruption Probe Linked to 2021 Campaign
FBI agents conducted coordinated raids on the residences of a New York City Hall staffer, a former Turkish Airlines executive, on the same day the FBI conducted a raid on the Brooklyn residence of Brianna Suggs, the chief fundraiser for New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Gateway Pundit reported earlier this month that the FBI launched an investigation against Mayor Eric Adams into potential illegal foreign donations from Turkey to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s 2021 election campaign.
The searches, which began early on November 2, targeted Brianna Suggs, Mayor Adams’s chief fundraiser; Rana Abbasova, an aide in his international affairs office; and Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who was on Adams’s transition team.
Brianna Suggs has been a pivotal figure in Mayor Adams’ political journey. She has been instrumental in raising funds for his campaigns, amassing over $2.5 million for his 2025 re-election bid, according to the Daily Mail.
Their professional relationship dates back to 2017 when Suggs joined Adams’ 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’ triumphant 2021 mayoral campaign. Currently, Suggs is associated with the Kings County Democratic County Committee, where she serves as a fundraiser.
Per ABC, Suggs has garnered $18.4 million for Adams’ 2021 campaign and has already amassed a minimum of $900,000 for his 2025 re-election bid.
The search warrant revealed an investigation into potential straw donor schemes involving foreign campaign donations. Crimes being probed include “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.”
The involvement of a Brooklyn-based construction firm with known links to Turkey and an obscure university in Washington, D.C, also associated with the country and Mayor Adams, has also been probed by investigating authorities.
On Thursday, it was revealed that the FBI also initiated their searches in the early hours of November 2 at a townhouse in Fort Lee, New Jersey, belonging to Rana Abbasova, who holds the post of director of protocol with the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, New York Times reported.
Similarly, the home of Cenk Öcal was also a target. Öcal, who once served as a top manager for Turkish Airlines in New York, was dismissed from his role in early 2022 amid a broader company restructure.
Details on what was seized from the homes have not been disclosed, while neither Abbasova nor Öcal have issued comments regarding the searches or accusations. Mayor Adams’s campaign has stressed that Abbasova had no employment or payment connections with the campaign.
Last week, the FBI also seized NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ cellphones and iPad amid a federal corruption investigation related to his 2021 campaign.
The feds are now focusing on text messages suggesting embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams helped fast-track approvals from the city Buildings Department and Fire Department for the Turkish government’s headquarters in New York City, according to the New York Post.
The text messages in question are between Eric Adams, who at the time was Brooklyn borough president and Democrat Mayoral nominee, Turkish Consul General Reyhan Özgür, and then-FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.
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