NYC mayor builds hefty legal war chest to battle FBI investigation
New York City Mayor Eric Adams' legal defense trust exceeds $650,000 in donations, reports say, as the FBI continues its corruption probe.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has built a hefty war chest over the past two months amid reports he's at the center of an ongoing FBI investigation.
Adams, who's clashed with the White House on President Biden's immigration policies, as New York City grapples with the influx of more than 168,000 migrants from the southern border, has so far not been publicly accused of any wrongdoing as the FBI continues its investigation into alleged corruption at City Hall to benefit the Turkish government.
In a statement obtained by N.Y. Daily News and Spectrum News NY 1, Vito Pitta, Adams’ longtime campaign compliance attorney, confirmed on Monday that, "The Eric Adams Legal Defense Trust has drawn strong support in a short amount of time, raising more than $650,000 since it was formed just two months ago."
The trust’s first disclosure is expected to be filed on Tuesday with more details.
According to city rules, the legal defense trust can accept donations of just up to $5,000 per person and Adams is not allowed to receive contributions from city employees or those in city business. Donors are required to affirm that their contributions won’t impact "any future business dealings" with the city, Daily News reported.
The mayor started the legal defense trust in mid-November after the FBI searched the home of Adams' chief campaign fundraiser, 25-year-old Brianna Suggs. Federal agents seized two laptop computers, three iPhones and a manila folder labeled "Eric Adams," according to the New York Times.
ERIC ADAMS LAUGHS OFF QUESTION ABOUT FBI SEIZURES: 'WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HELICOPTERS'
The FBI raid prompted Adams to suddenly return from Washington, D.C., ahead of planned visits at the White House and Congress about the migrant crisis' impact on the Big Apple.
The bureau is probing whether Adams' 2021 campaign conspired with the Turkish government and others to funnel money into its coffers. FBI agents also approached Adams directly after a Manhattan event later that month, seizing the mayor's electronic devices, including at least two cellphones and an iPad, in carrying out a search warrant, the Times reported.
The FBI also searched the homes of Rana Abbasova, an aide to Adams at City Hall, and Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on the mayor’s 2021 transition team, according to Daily News. Fox News Digital reached out to Pitta for comment Monday but did not immediately hear back.