New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a federal grand jury on criminal charges.
The indictment, which is expected to be unsealed today, Thursday, marks the culmination of a months-long investigation into the mayor’s alleged involvement in a web of corruption and illegal foreign donations, potentially implicating powerful interests spanning across six foreign nations.
While the details of the charges remain under wraps for now, sources close to the investigation revealed that Adams is suspected of accepting illegal contributions from foreign countries, including Turkey, Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
The allegations have already triggered a crisis within the mayor’s administration, leading to the raids, resignations of several top officials, and a barrage of subpoenas.
Here is a timeline of events in the federal investigation into Mayor Eric Adams and his inner circle via ABC 7 NY:
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- November 2, 2023 – The FBI launches a major investigation into Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign, starting with a search of key figures’ homes. Federal agents search the Brooklyn residence of Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for Adams, and the New Jersey home of Rana Abbasova, the mayor’s international affairs aide. That same day, Adams flies to Washington, D.C., only to abruptly return to New York, canceling meetings scheduled with the White House.
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- November 6, 2023 – Mayor Adams faces direct scrutiny as the FBI seizes his personal electronic devices, including his iPad and cell phone. Sources indicate that investigators are looking into whether Adams’ campaign received illegal foreign donations from Turkey.
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- February 29, 2024 – The FBI continues its investigation, this time focusing on Winnie Greco, Adams’ Director of Asian Affairs. Federal agents search her Bronx home as part of the ongoing probe.
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- April 5, 2024 – The FBI is investigating whether Mayor Adams received free upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights during his 2021 mayoral campaign,
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- July 2024 – The federal investigation heats up, with grand jury subpoenas issued to Adams in what sources describe as a corruption probe. Prosecutors are reportedly looking into whether the mayor’s campaign pressured the fire department to expedite inspections of the new Turkish consulate in exchange for donations from Turkey.
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- September 4, 2024 – The investigation reaches Adams’ inner circle. FBI agents search the homes of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and her fiancé, Schools Chancellor David Banks, who had his phones seized. They also search the Queens home of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, along with business consultant Terence Banks, confiscating various electronic devices.
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- September 5, 2024 – Four high-ranking NYPD officials, including NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and his twin brother James Caban, are subpoenaed by federal investigators. Tim Pearson, a close advisor to Mayor Adams, also has his phone seized.
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- September 12, 2024 – Commissioner Caban resigns, citing the ongoing investigations as a “distraction” to the city’s work. His departure signals further fallout from the expanding probe.
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- September 14, 2024 – Lisa Zornberg, Chief Counsel at City Hall, resigns after advising Mayor Adams on legal strategy for over a year. In a brief letter, Zornberg states she can no longer serve effectively in her role, raising questions about the legal stability surrounding the Adams administration.
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- September 16, 2024 – The FBI arrests two retired FDNY chiefs, Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino, as part of a year-long corruption investigation connected to the probe into Mayor Adams’ administration.
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- September 20, 2024 – Federal prosecutors issue a subpoena to Molly Schaeffer, the director overseeing New York City’s Office for Asylum Seekers, further expanding the scope of the investigation into City Hall operations.
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- September 21, 2024 – Federal agents search the home of Interim NYPD Commissioner Thomas Donlon. Though Donlon claims the search is unrelated to the police department, its timing raises eyebrows.
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- September 23, 2024 – New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan announces his resignation, effective by January 2025. Vasan insists his decision is to spend more time with family and denies any connection to the federal investigation.
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- September 24, 2024 – Another major figure steps down as New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks announces his retirement, adding to the growing list of high-level resignations amid the ongoing probe.
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- September 24, 2024 – The FBI expanded its investigation into possible illegal foreign donations, focusing on Adams’ suspicious connections with at least six foreign countries, including Turkey, Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
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- September 25, 2024 – Mayor Eric Adams is indicted by a grand jury in the federal corruption investigation, marking a pivotal moment in the probe that has rocked his administration.
This comes after Adams has slammed Biden’s border policy indirectly by claiming that the migrant crisis is ‘destroying’ the city.
Hellbound and Down 