In a series of coordinated operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants at the residences of a New York City Hall staffer, a former executive of Turkish Airlines, and the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, the chief fundraiser for New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Gateway Pundit had previously reported that the FBI had initiated an investigation into Mayor Adams over allegations of illegal foreign donations from Turkey to his 2021 election campaign.
The searches, conducted on November 2, were aimed at Brianna Suggs, Mayor Adams's chief fundraiser; Rana Abbasova, an aide in his international affairs office; and Cenk cal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on Adams's transition team. Suggs has been a key figure in Mayor Adams' political trajectory, having raised over $2.5 million for his 2025 re-election bid, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Suggs' professional association with Adams dates back to 2017 when she joined his office as an administrative intern during his tenure as the Brooklyn Borough President. She later rose to the position of fundraiser and director of logistics for Adams' successful 2021 mayoral campaign. Currently, Suggs is affiliated with the Kings County Democratic County Committee, where she serves as a fundraiser. According to ABC, Suggs raised $18.4 million for Adams' 2021 campaign and has already accumulated at least $900,000 for his 2025 re-election bid.
The search warrant unveiled an investigation into potential straw donor schemes involving foreign campaign donations. The crimes under investigation include "theft of federal funds and conspiracy to steal federal funds, wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, as well as campaign contributions by foreign nationals and conspiracy to make such contributions."
The investigation also extends to a Brooklyn-based construction firm with known ties to Turkey and an obscure university in Washington, D.C, also associated with Turkey and Mayor Adams. On November 2, the FBI also conducted searches at a townhouse in Fort Lee, New Jersey, owned by Rana Abbasova, the director of protocol with the Mayor's Office for International Affairs, as reported by the New York Times.
The residence of Cenk cal, a former top manager for Turkish Airlines in New York, was also targeted. cal was relieved of his duties in early 2022 as part of a broader company restructuring. Details regarding the items seized from the residences have not been disclosed, and neither Abbasova nor cal have commented on the searches or allegations. Mayor Adams's campaign has emphasized that Abbasova had no employment or payment ties with the campaign.
Last week, the FBI also confiscated NYC Mayor Eric Adams' cellphones and iPad as part of a federal corruption investigation related to his 2021 campaign. The federal authorities are now scrutinizing text messages suggesting that Mayor Adams expedited approvals from the city Buildings Department and Fire Department for the Turkish government's headquarters in New York City, as reported by the New York Post.
The text messages under investigation are between Eric Adams, who was then the Brooklyn borough President and Democratic Mayoral nominee, Turkish Consul General Reyhan zgr, and then-FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.
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