The former liaison to the Muslim community for Mayor Eric Adams, seen as a key witness in a federal corruption case against him, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to fund fraud tied to Adams’ 2021 campaign.
A few months after the Justice Department took action against Adams, the judge described an unpleasant situation. Mohamed Bahi, now 41, admitted making a mistake in collecting $32,000 at a fundraiser in Brooklyn back in 2020, believing it to be a $22,000 donation from a real estate firm.
At a federal hearing in Manhattan, Bahi pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge related to wire fraud. During this hearing, it became clear that he knew he was defrauding city taxpayers by improperly filing an 8-1 “matching fund” claim using the questionable donation.
He is set to be sentenced on November 18, just two weeks after the mayoral election where Adams is seeking reelection. Bahi will face six months of probation, though his expression was somewhat strained when leaving court despite questions about his guilty plea.
This former aide was anticipated to testify against Adams, who is facing bribery and wire fraud charges. Federal prosecutors previously suggested that the FBI had been encouraged to mislead in the case, which further complicates matters.
In February, Bahi reached a plea agreement with federal authorities, according to court documents. Following that, Manhattan prosecutors prepared a new indictment against Adams, asserting he had obstructed justice by destroying evidence and encouraging false statements to the FBI.
Before the news of this indictment came to light, the Justice Department had sought to dismiss the case against Adams, a move met with resistance from the lead prosecutor.
Meanwhile, Adams has denied any misconduct, representing himself as a political target. He was accused of seeking illegal donations and accepting bribes from Turkish individuals to expedite the opening of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan, claims he has called exaggerated and politically motivated.
Judge Dale Ho, overseeing the case, reflected on the overall situation, likening it to a “doodle” and mentioned that the DOJ’s agreement to drop charges appeared to involve a trade-off related to immigration policy.
In response to these developments, a spokesperson for City Hall stated that, as Adams has publicly asserted, he never instructed his team to break the law.
