Insightful Details: FBI’s Inquiry into Turkey and Mayor Adams’ Campaign

In November, the FBI raided Mayor Eric Adams’s top campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, to investigate potential misconduct by the 2021 mayoral campaign. The FBI inquiry centers on potential illicit overseas donations from Turkey. Adams, a Democrat, and Suggs have not been charged. Rana Abbasova, a staffer in the mayor’s International Affairs Office, has been implicated. While many details remain unknown, the FBI raid suggests the case against Adams has put a spotlight on Turkey’s ties to New York City. The FBI is investigating whether the Adams campaign conspired with Turkey’s government and a Brooklyn construction firm, KSK Construction Group, to funnel foreign cash into the campaign’s coffers. 100 FBI agents reportedly searched multiple locations on November 2, including Suggs’ home. Other locations searched by the FBI included Abbassova’s home, in New Jersey, and the home of Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive. The FBI later seized Adams’ electronic devices and is looking into allegations that the Turkish government funneled illegal foreign cash into the mayor’s campaign. Adams has long had close ties to Turkey after visiting the country multiple times, and celebrating Turkish events frequently during his time as Brooklyn’s borough president.