Federal agents targeted high-ranking members of New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, conducting raids on multiple municipal officials and taking the cellphones of at least one other senior advisor.
Law enforcement officers raided the homes of Philip Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety, in Queens, and Sheena Wright, the city’s first deputy mayor, and her romantic partner, Schools Chancellor David Banks, in Manhattan, five people with knowledge of the situation told Politico.
“Agents also searched NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban’s home, and Tim Pearson — a senior adviser to Adams and one of his closest confidants — was subpoenaed for his cellphones. David and Phil Banks are brothers,” Politico reported.
“Another brother, government relations firm founder Terry Banks, is also being investigated, The New YorkTimes reported. And at least seven other members of the NYPD had their phones subpoenaed. The sweeping federal actions mark yet another law enforcement inquiry into the mayor’s orbit, the full scope of which is not yet clear. Since November, federal investigators have been probing Adams’ ties to Turkey and have undertaken what appears to be a separate investigation into his aide Winnie Greco. Whether those investigations are tied directly to the recently executed search warrants also remains unclear,” the outlet added.
As more details emerged Thursday, Adams’ Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg distanced administration officials from any potential wrongdoing.
“Investigators have not indicated to us the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation,” she said in a statement. “As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has repeatedly made clear that all members of the team need to follow the law.”
Adams stuck to his talking points Thursday, suggesting he would stay focused on his job while the investigation unfolded.
“The goal is to follow the law. And that is what this administration always stood for, and what we’re going to continue to stand for,” he said to reporters while walking out of City Hall. “Whatever information that’s needed, we’re going to turn it over, and I’m going to continue to be the mayor of the City of New York, the greatest city on the globe.”
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed there was “an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York involving members of service,” and added that “the department is fully cooperating in the investigation.”
Politico added: “Two other people familiar with the matter said the latest searches do not appear to be related to the ongoing federal investigation into the government of Turkey trying to influence Adams. It also appears unrelated to a federal investigation into Greco, Adams’ special adviser and a campaign fundraiser whose homes were raided in February. The homes of at least two Adams’ aides have been searched since last November as part of the Turkey probe. Adams himself was served a grand jury subpoena in July and had his electronic devices seized (and later returned) last November.”
The Banks brothers and Wright, however, are the highest-ranking administration officials whose residences have reportedly been searched as part of the federal action to date, Politico noted.
During an appearance in Queens on Thursday for the start of the school year, David Banks declined to comment to reporters about the raid.
Refusing to provide their names, two of his next-door neighbors reported that they heard nothing and saw nothing on Wednesday morning. Similar to Wright and Banks, other neighbors on their neighborhood were also oblivious that anything had occurred.
If the mayor’s 2021 campaign involved collusion with foreign interests, particularly the Turkish government, that is at least one aspect of the probe concerning Turkish involvement.
Serving in his first term as mayor, Adams is a Democrat. According to him and his lawyers, he is assisting with the inquiry and has not been charged with any crimes.
