In a recent development, Dwayne Montgomery, a former NYPD inspector and a close associate of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, admitted guilt in a case involving a fraudulent scheme to secure substantial funds from Adams' 2021 campaign.
The news was confirmed by a spokesperson from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, as reported by the New York Daily News.
Mayor Adams, when questioned about Montgomery's admission of guilt during an unrelated press conference, deferred to the District Attorney's Office. "The DA is handling that case," he stated, referring to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He further emphasized that his campaign had no part in the wrongdoings and expressed his confidence in the DA's handling of the situation.
Adams highlighted the rigorous scrutiny his campaign team employed, contacting between 16,000-17,000 donors and informing them that their contributions must be their own money. He added that they had spent thousands on a compliance attorney to ensure the legitimacy of the donations and had returned any that did not meet their standards. "We did the review that we're supposed to review. And I've always told you from the beginning, I'm confident that I know we did the internal scrutiny we're supposed to do," Adams stated.
It is important to note that Mayor Adams has not been implicated in any wrongdoing related to the ongoing investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office. Fox News Digital reached out to Bragg's office for comments regarding Montgomery's plea but received no immediate response.
Two co-defendants in the case, brothers Shahid and Yahya Mushtaq, had previously admitted guilt in October, agreeing to cooperate with Braggs investigators as the investigation continues. Other co-defendants include Shamsuddin Riza, Millicent Redick, Ronald Peek, and Ecosafety Consultants, Inc.
The court documents allege that the co-defendants collaborated from August 2020 to November 2021 to fraudulently secure tens of thousands of dollars in matching funds for Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign. They are accused of submitting falsified campaign contribution forms to the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
In the meantime, Mayor Adams has amassed a significant war chest amid reports of an ongoing FBI investigation. Despite clashing with the White House over President Biden's immigration policies, Adams has not been publicly accused of any wrongdoing as the FBI continues its probe into alleged corruption at City Hall to benefit the Turkish government.
In January, Adams longtime campaign compliance attorney confirmed that the Eric Adams Legal Defense Trust had raised more than $650,000 in just two months. The trust was established in mid-November following an FBI raid on the home of Adams' chief campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, during which several electronic devices and documents were seized.
The FBI raid prompted Adams to abruptly return from Washington, D.C., ahead of planned visits to the White House and Congress related to the impact of the migrant crisis on New York City. The FBI is investigating whether Adams' 2021 campaign conspired with the Turkish government and others to channel money into its coffers. The bureau also executed a search warrant on Adams, seizing his electronic devices.
The FBI has also searched the homes of Rana Abbasova, an aide to Adams at City Hall, and Cenk cal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on the mayors 2021 transition team, according to the Daily News.
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