FBI raids two homes owned by top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams
NEW YORK — Federal agents searched two properties owned by a top adviser to New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday morning.
An FBI spokesman confirmed that agents conducted early morning raids on two Bronx addresses that records show belong to Winnie Greco, a former Adams fundraiser who now serves as a special adviser for Asian Affairs.
The purpose of the study was not immediately clear. It comes as Adams and several members of his inner circle face federal scrutiny from Manhattan prosecutors over political fundraising during his 2021 campaign.
A person with knowledge of the investigation said it was overseen by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn and was separate from the criminal investigation being conducted by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. The person was not authorized to release information about the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Neighbors of Greco said federal agents began searching the two homes, which are on the same block, around 6 a.m. and remained in the area for several hours.
Greco was placed on administrative leave Thursday, a City Hall spokesperson said. A prolific fundraiser, she worked closely with Adams for more than a decade, serving as his conduit to the city’s Asian American communities.
In November, the city’s Department of Investigations opened an investigation into her conduct following a news report that raised questions about her political fundraising and whether she used her position in the administration to gain personal benefits.
According to that report, published by local news channel The City, Greco demanded that a city employee perform free renovation work on her home while he was at work.
Greco is at least the third of Adams’ aides whose home has been targeted by federal agents. In November, the FBI raided the home of Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for Adams, and Rana Abbasova, who worked in the mayor’s international affairs office. Four days later, officers quietly seized the mayor’s cellphones and an iPad as he left an event in Manhattan.
That investigation, led by prosecutors in Manhattan, would focus on whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources, funneled through straw donors, according to a warrant reported by The New York. Time.
Adams has repeatedly dismissed questions about the investigation, while emphasizing that he has not been officially accused of wrongdoing.
“Our administration will always follow the law and we always expect all of our employees to adhere to the strictest ethical guidelines,” a spokesperson for the mayor said in a statement Thursday. “As we have said repeatedly, we do not comment on matters currently under review, but will cooperate fully with any ongoing investigations.”
There was no immediate response to a voicemail seeking comment left on a phone number listed as Greco’s.