Before Eric Adams was indicted, his administration found itself caught up in a series of investigations. Since 2021, federal agents have been probing whether the New York City mayor collaborated with his election team to illegally accept foreign donations, particularly from the Turkish government. Investigators are also looking into allegations that Adams pressured officials at the New York City Fire Department to fast-track approvals for the construction of the Turkish consulate’s new building, overlooking safety concerns.
According to reports from The New York Times, federal agents are investigating whether Turkish Airlines provided significant upgrades for Mayor Adams’ flights. The mayor’s office is facing several federal corruption inquiries, and here’s a timeline of key developments from this year:
– **September 4**: Federal agents seized the phones of former NYPD Chief Edward Caban, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and Education Chancellor David Banks. While these actions seem unrelated to Adams’ campaign fundraising inquiry, they added to the chaos within the New York City government.
– **September 12**: NYPD Chief Caban resigned at the request of the mayor’s office.
– **September 15**: Chief Legal Counsel Lisa Zornberg, a strong supporter of Adams, stepped down.
– **September 16**: Two former senior officials from the NYC Fire Department, Anthony Sacavino and Brian Cordasco, were arrested for allegedly accepting bribes totaling tens of thousands of dollars to expedite fire safety approvals.
– **September 21**: Federal agents conducted a search at the home of Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon, confiscating documents unrelated to the police department. Sources indicated these documents were confidential files that Donlon had kept for several years.
– **September 23**: Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan announced his resignation, effective early next year, citing a wish to spend more time with his family. A city spokesperson clarified that his departure was not related to the federal investigations.
– **September 23**: Reports suggested that federal prosecutors were investigating Adams’ ties not only with Turkey but also with five other countries: Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
– **September 24**: Education Chancellor David Banks confirmed his resignation effective at the end of December, following the seizure of his phone by federal agents a few weeks earlier.
– **September 25**: U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued a statement calling for Adams’ resignation, expressing doubt about his ability to effectively govern New York City.
– **September 25**: News broke that Adams was facing criminal charges, marking him as the first sitting mayor of New York City to be in such a predicament.
