FBI agents seized the cellphones and other devices of the mayor of New York as part of a federal investigation into campaign fundraising, US media reported.
According to the New York Times, which broke the news, the seizure appears to be part of a corruption investigation into whether Eric Adams' 2021 campaign colluded with the Turkish government.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the paper said agents approached Adams after an event Monday and asked the mayor's bodyguards to step away from his vehicle before getting inside.
Agents then took devices, including at least two cellphones and an iPad, which the Times said were returned to him within days.
The federal investigation into Adams' campaign became public last week when FBI agents searched the home of his former chief fundraiser -- 25-year-old former intern Briana Suggs -- and seized laptops, cell phones and a manila folder labeled "Eric Adams." .
News of the raid prompted the mayor to reverse course and return to New York from Washington, where he was scheduled to meet with White House and congressional officials regarding the influx of migrants into his city.
According to the Times, the FBI's search warrant for Suggs' home contained evidence of a conspiracy between the mayor's campaign, the Turkish government and a Turkish-owned Brooklyn developer.
The warrant said authorities were investigating whether donations from the Turkish government or Turkish citizens were made to Adams through a scheme that identified false donors.
The seizure of Adams' devices will mark the first time the investigation has reached directly to the mayor of New York. /BGNES
