The growing federal investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s campaign now includes questions into whether he used his influence with the Fire Department to help Turkey move into a new consulate building despite safety concerns, the New York Times reported Sunday.
The Times said Adams’s contact with then-Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro followed a fund-raiser hosted by Turkish immigrants who own a construction company not involved in the project, the Times said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later presided over the ribbon-cutting at the building, a high-rise across from the United Nations.
The mayor’s office declined to comment. Adams released a statement through his campaign saying he has not been accused of wrongdoing and will continue to cooperate with the investigation.
“As a borough president, part of my routine role was to notify government agencies of issues on behalf of constituents and constituencies,” Adams said. The statement didn’t explain why Adams, who was Brooklyn borough president, was intervening on a Manhattan issue. At the time, Adams was the Democratic nominee for mayor, which all but assured his election in November 2021.
The latest revelation comes amid a growing Federal Bureau Investigation probe into campaign contributions to the mayor’s campaign. FBI agents seized two cellular phones and an iPad from the mayor last week.
