Swirling federal investigations test New York City mayor’s ability to govern

NEW YORK — New York Mayor Eric Adams is facing mounting questions about his ability to govern after federal investigators seized the phones of several officials in his administration, deepening scrutiny on a Democrat already embroiled in a seemingly unrelated criminal investigation.

Federal agents on Wednesday seized equipment from Adams’ police chief, his schools chancellor, two deputy mayors and several other advisers.

None of the officials involved have been charged with a crime, but the wave of searches has cast a cloud of suspicion around Adams, a former city police chief who profiles himself as a champion of law and order.

They have also raised internal questions about the board’s ability to continue to focus on providing services to the country’s largest city.

In a private conversation with executives on Friday, the city’s Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol offered a blunt assessment of the investigations’ impact on public safety.

“This is not good,” he said, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by The Associated Press. “There’s a lot going on in the city, and what I’m most concerned about is the city government being distracted.”

The agency, which is responsible for the city’s emergency procedures, falls under the portfolio of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, whose home was visited by police on Wednesday. Iscol said during the call that he had not yet spoken to City Hall leadership as of Friday morning.

The FBI and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment, and it was not immediately clear whether federal authorities were seeking information related to one or more of the investigations.

In addition to Banks, federal agents on Wednesday also seized equipment from Police Chief Edward Caban, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Banks’ brother David Banks, the city’s education chancellor, and Timothy Pearson, a key adviser to the mayor and a former high-ranking New York Police Department official.

The seizures came nearly a year after federal agents seized Adams’ phones and iPad as he left an event in Manhattan. Investigators also searched the homes of a top Adams campaign fundraiser and a member of his administration’s international affairs office.

In February, federal authorities searched two homes belonging to its Asian affairs director as part of a separate investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn.

Earlier this summer, Adams, his campaign team and City Hall all received subpoenas from federal prosecutors requesting information about the mayor’s foreign travel and possible ties to the Turkish government.

The latest round of searches appears to be unrelated to the investigation in Turkey and the probe by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information about the investigations.

“There’s a stench of corruption surrounding the mayor,” said Douglas Muzzio, a retired Baruch College political science professor with deep knowledge of New York politics. “You have to believe that at some point, the sense that government isn’t working will permeate the public consciousness.”

Federal investigators have apparently been interested in Adams’ inner circle since this winter. John Scola, an attorney representing four city employees who have accused Pearson of sexual harassment, said three of his clients were visited in February by FBI agents seeking to learn more about Pearson and his work with City Hall.

Pearson previously worked with Phil Banks before being appointed to lead a new mayoral unit to oversee city services.

Those who worked with Pearson said he had an unusual set of responsibilities that gave him broad discretion over police promotions, pandemic recovery efforts and certain migrant homeless shelters. He is currently facing a separate investigation by the city for his role in a brawl at one of those shelters.

Throughout the FBI’s activities, Adams has maintained that he is following the law and remains focused on his duties as mayor.

When asked repeatedly at press conferences about the investigations, Adams said his mantra is to “stay focused, have no distractions and persevere.”

Fabien Levy, spokesman for the mayor, said that nothing would stand in the way of the administration.

“For much of the year, the mayor has made it clear that as a former law enforcement officer, he will always follow the law, while remaining focused on providing services to the people of the city,” Levy said in a statement Friday, citing recent drops in crime and increases in jobs and other city initiatives.

Since the searches on Wednesday morning, the mayor has personally visited a tunnel emergency, held a public event about the first day of school and spoken with residents concerned about e-bikes. On Friday, he held his regular senior staff call at 8 a.m. and then spoke with the mayor of Lisbon, Levy said.

In a statement, Schools Chancellor David Banks said: “I remain focused on ensuring they have a safe, academically rigorous and joyful school year. I confirm that I am cooperating with a federal investigation. I cannot comment further at this time.”

Benjamin Brafman, an attorney for Philip Banks, confirmed that a search had been conducted but declined to comment further. The NYPD’s media relations division also confirmed a federal investigation involving members of the department but declined to make Caban available for comment. A call to Pearson’s attorney was not returned.

But news of the latest investigations has provided Adams’ opponents with new and powerful lines of attack ahead of what is expected to be a highly contested primary season for the Democratic mayor.

Brad Lander, a Democrat who serves as city controller and is one of Adams’ few challengers in next year’s primary, said the fact that investigations are underway into many of the mayor’s top officials could create “both distractions and fears about reliability and consequences for all New Yorkers.”

“New Yorkers want to know that their leaders are focused on their problems and not their own, and agency staff also need focused leadership that will help them address the challenges New Yorkers face,” Lander said.

Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who is expected to run against Adams next year, said the investigations pose a serious obstacle to the day-to-day governance process.

“We New Yorkers are not stupid,” he said. “We know that this administration is paralyzed by the investigation. I think the mayor needs to step up and tell New Yorkers in a real way everything he knows about what’s going on.”