Swirling federal investigations test New York City mayor's ability to govern

NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing mounting questions over his ability to govern after federal investigators seized phones from multiple officials in his administration, compounding scrutiny of a Democrat who was already ensnared in an apparently separate criminal probe.

Federal agents on Wednesday took devices from Adams' police commissioner, his schools chancellor, two deputy mayors and several other advisers.

None of the officials involved have been charged with a crime, but the wave of searches added to a cloud of suspicion around Adams, a former city police captain who has fashioned himself as a champion of law and order.

They've also raised questions internally about the administration’s ability to stay focused on serving the nation’s largest city.

In a private call Friday with senior staff, the city's Emergency Management Commissioner, Zach Iscol, offered a blunt assessment of the impact of the investigations on public safety.

“This is not good,” he said, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by The Associated Press. “There’s a lot going on in the city and the thing that I’m most concerned about is city leadership being distracted.“

The agency, which is responsible for the city’s emergency procedures, falls under the portfolio of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks, whose home was visited by law enforcement Wednesday. Iscol said on the call that he had not spoken to City Hall leadership as of Friday morning.

The FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment and it was not immediately clear whether federal authorities were seeking information linked to one investigation or several.

In addition to Banks, federal agents on Wednesday seized devices from Police Commissioner Edward Caban; First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright; Banks' brother, David Banks, the city’s schools chancellor; and Timothy Pearson, a top mayoral adviser and former high-ranking New York Police Department official.

The seizures came nearly a year after federal agents seized Adams’ phones and iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan. Investigators also searched the homes of a top Adams campaign fundraiser and a member of his administration's international affairs office.

In February, federal authorities searched two properties belonging to his director of Asian affairs as part of a separate investigation overseen by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn.

Then earlier this summer, Adams, his campaign and City Hall all received subpoenas from federal prosecutors requesting information about the mayor's overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government.

The most recent round of searches appear to be unrelated to the Turkey inquiry and the investigation by Brooklyn federal prosecutors, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information about the investigations.

“There is a stench of corruption around the mayor,” said Douglas Muzzio, a retired political science professor at Baruch College with deep knowledge of New York politics. “You’ve got to believe that at some point, the feeling that the government is not working is going to start pervading the public consciousness.”

Federal investigators appear to have been interested in Adams’ inner circle as far back as this winter. John Scola, an attorney representing four city employees who have accused Pearson of sexual harassment, said three of his clients received visits in February from FBI agents, who wanted to know about Pearson and his work with City Hall.

Pearson previously worked alongside Phil Banks before he was assigned to lead a new mayoral unit tasked with overseeing city agencies.

Those who worked with Pearson said he had an unusual suite of responsibilities that gave him wide latitude over police promotions, pandemic recovery efforts and certain homeless shelters for migrants. He is currently facing a separate city investigation for his role in a brawl at one of those shelters.

Throughout the various FBI activities, Adams has forcefully maintained that he has followed the law and that he would continue to focus on his duties as mayor.

Asked repeatedly at news conferences about the investigations, Adams has said his mantra is to “stay focused, no distractions and grind.”

Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the mayor, said nothing would hamper the administration’s ability to govern.

“For the better part of a year, the mayor has been absolutely clear that, as a former member of law enforcement, he will always follow the law, and in the same time he has stayed focused on delivering for the people of the city,” Levy said in a statement Friday, pointing to recent drops in crime and increases in job numbers and other city initiatives.

Since the Wednesday morning searches, the mayor has personally visited a tunnel emergency, held a public event about the first day of school, and met with residents concerned about e-bikes. On Friday, he held his regularly scheduled senior staff call at 8 a.m., then met with the mayor of Lisbon, Levy said.

In a statement, Schools Chancellor David Banks said: "I remain focused on ensuring they have safe, academically rigorous, and a joyful school year. I am confirming that I am cooperating with a federal inquiry. At this time, I cannot comment any further on that matter.”

Benjamin Brafman, an attorney for Philip Banks, confirmed that a search was conducted, but otherwise declined to comment. The NYPD's media relations office also confirmed a federal investigation involving members of the department, but declined to make Caban available for comment. A phone message left for Pearson's attorney was not returned.

But news of the latest investigations has provided Adams' foes with fresh and potent lines of attack ahead of what is expected to be a heavily contested primary election season for the Democratic mayor.

Brad Lander, a Democrat who serves as the city's comptroller and is one of a handful of challengers to Adams in next year's primary, said the fact that investigations are swirling around much of the mayor's top staff could create “a level of both distraction and anxiety about trustworthiness and consequences for all New Yorkers.”

“New Yorkers want to know their leaders are focused on their problems and not their own problems, and the staff of agencies also need focused leadership helping them confront the challenges New Yorkers have," Lander said.

Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who is expected to run against Adams next year, said the investigations are becoming a serious impediment to the day-to-day process of governing.

“We New Yorkers are not stupid," he said. "We know that this government is paralyzed by the investigation. I think the mayor needs to step up and tell New Yorkers, in a real way, everything he knows about what’s going on.”