The FBI searched the homes of at least three senior members of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' administration on Wednesday, Fox News Digital confirmed.
FBI agents went to the homes of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III early Wednesday morning and seized electronic devices.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams holds a press conference with his staff at New York City Hall on July 30, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Investigators also searched the home of Timothy Pearson, a former senior NYPD official who now advises the mayor on public safety.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III during a briefing at City Hall. (Lev Ladin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor's office and the New York City Department of Law for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The FBI's New York office declined to comment on the raid when contacted by Fox News Digital.
First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, New York City Council Members Gayle Brewer and Callie Lazar White, and District Attorney Alvin Bragg attend the 19th Annual Voice Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 9, 2024 in New York City. (Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
The FBI also searched the home of NYPD Commissioner Edward Cabana. New York Post.
The NYPD told Fox News Digital, “We are aware of an investigation involving military personnel by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. The police department is cooperating fully with that investigation and we encourage officers to refer any questions regarding the investigation to the US Attorney's Office.”
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City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg told Fox News Digital in a statement: “Investigators have not indicated that the Mayor or his staff are the targets of their investigation. As a former member of law enforcement, the Mayor has repeatedly made clear that everyone on his team must follow the law.”
Cast FOX 5 New York On Thursday, Adams was asked about the FBI raid.
“Throughout my career in public office, I've made the message clear that we will follow the law, and that's exactly what we're doing,” Adams said, “and we'll comply with any investigations or submissions that we have to make.”
The Democratic mayor said the searches do not necessarily lead to charges.
“There are two options here: either … the fire continues to rage and charges are filed, or this is completely baseless and the criminal justice system is used as a weapon against you,” Adams said. “I'd love to have a good conversation about this, but as a former police officer, I know the only thing we can do is wait for the investigation to play out, and I am.”
The search marked the latest sign of legal troubles in the administration of Adams, a first-term Democrat and former New York City police chief who took office in 2022 after serving as Brooklyn borough president and state senator.
Mayor Eric Adams (right) and Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright (left) stand side by side during a press conference at New York City Hall on December 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriye)
In November, federal agents seized the mayor's phone and iPad as he left a Manhattan event and searched the home of a key fundraiser for the mayor. Adams has denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged last month that he had received a subpoena from federal prosecutors and said he and his team were cooperating.
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Pearson is currently facing multiple lawsuits alleging sexual harassment of female employees and a separate investigation into his involvement in a fight at a homeless immigrant shelter. An attorney representing Pearson in the harassment lawsuits did not immediately respond to a phone call request.
New York City Police Commissioner Philip Banks (right) listens during a press conference in New York on January 30, 2014. (AP Photo)
Federal prosecutors previously named Banks as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in their investigation into a police bribery scheme under the administration of former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Banks abruptly retired in 2014 but returned to city government when Adams took office in 2022.
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Wright, the first deputy mayor, lives with his partner, David Banks, the city's superintendent of schools and brother of Philip Banks. It was not immediately clear whether investigators were also seeking records about David Banks.
Fox News reporter Henry Nakali and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
