Federal prosecutors have issued a series of subpoenas as part of an ongoing corruption investigation focused on New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ election campaign in 2021. The subpoenas were issued to Adams, City Hall, and his election committee in July, requesting text messages, other communications, documents, information on Adams’ travel arrangements to China, and campaign fundraising. Adams’ office stated that the mayor has fully cooperated with the investigation, while his attorneys have conducted their own investigation, finding no evidence of illegal conduct and sharing evidence contradicting reported theories of federal prosecution. The subpoenas are part of an investigation into Adams’ use of private email addresses and the disappearance of records from seven trips he made to China, at least one of which was partly funded by the Chinese Communist Party.
Adams used three private email addresses to arrange his dealings in China on the seven trips he made to the foreign country. The private email accounts cannot be traced on New York City government servers, which conceals key details such as who paid for the trips and with whom he met. Federal investigators previously seized the mayor’s cellphones and an iPad last year as he was leaving an event in Manhattan. The initial probe is believed to focus on whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources funneled through straw donors.
Adams’ attorneys have stated they have investigated and evaluated the mayor’s campaign documents, electronic communication, and witness interviews. They found no evidence of illegal conduct by the mayor and shared evidence with the U.S. Attorney undermining reported theories of federal prosecution. The attorneys continue to cooperate with the investigation and are in the process of responding to the recently issued subpoenas. Adams’ office reiterated that the mayor has been clear about cooperating with any investigation due to his background in law enforcement and expects that everyone will cooperate to swiftly bring the investigation to a close. The FBI is probing Adams’ use of private email addresses, trips to China, and whether he received upgraded Turkish Airlines tickets in exchange for favors.
The New York Post reported that Adams used three private email addresses to arrange his dealings in China on seven trips, with at least one funded partly by the Chinese Communist Party. The private email accounts used by Adams cannot be traced on New York City government servers, leading to key details remaining concealed. Federal investigators previously seized the mayor’s cellphones and an iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan. The investigation is believed to focus on whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources funneled through straw donors. The FBI has been contacted for comment on the investigation.
The ongoing corruption investigation into Adams’ election campaign in 2021 includes subpoenas issued to Adams, City Hall, and his election committee. The subpoenas requested text messages, communications, documents, information on travel arrangements to China, and campaign fundraising. Adams’ office has stated that the mayor fully cooperates with the investigation, and his attorneys have conducted their own investigation finding no evidence of illegal conduct and sharing evidence with the U.S. Attorney undermining reported theories of federal prosecution. The subpoenas are part of an investigation into Adams’ use of private email addresses and missing records from trips to China, including those partly funded by the Chinese Communist Party.
