New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the City Hall legal team “are continuing to work with investigators and cooperate,” his chief counsel told CNN on Sunday, after the New York Times reported federal authorities are investigating whether Adams successfully pressed city officials to allow the opening of a Manhattan high-rise housing the Turkish Consulate General.
“The mayor and our team are continuing to work with investigators and cooperate. We hope that investigators will continue to cooperate with us and reprimand any federal officer who has improperly leaked details about this investigation as such conduct could prejudice the public and undermines the integrity of our law enforcement process,” New York City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg told CNN.
The New York Times reported that federal investigators are looking into whether Adams, weeks before his election two years ago, pressured New York Fire Department officials to sign off on the Turkish government’s new consulate despite safety concerns with the building, citing three people with knowledge of the matter.
The report comes after CNN reported Friday that FBI agents seized phones and an iPad from the mayor last week as part of an investigation into campaign fundraising, a dramatic escalation of the federal probe into whether foreign money was funneled to his campaign.
Adams on Sunday told CNN through a campaign spokesperson, “As a Borough President, part of my routine role was to notify government agencies of issues on behalf of constituents and constituencies. I have not been accused of wrongdoing and I will continue to cooperate with investigators.”
The New York Times reported, citing sources, that after winning the Democratic mayoral primary in July 2021, Adams contacted then-Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro and urged him to allow the Turkish government to occupy the building at…
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