Edited by: TJVNews.com

Federal investigators are intensifying their examination of New York City Mayor Adams’ 2021 campaign, focusing on a series of texts suggesting his involvement in expediting the opening of the Turkish government’s new diplomatic headquarters in Manhattan, sources close to the case have revealed, according to a report in the New York Post.

The Post report indicated that the texts, exchanged in September 2021 between Adams, then the Brooklyn borough president and Democratic mayoral nominee, Turkish Consul General Reyhan Özgür, and then-FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, were uncovered by FBI agents after seizing Adams’ electronic devices earlier this week.

Sources described the content of the texts, revealing that Özgür informed Adams of the completion of construction on the Turkevi Center diplomatic headquarters, situated on 46th Street and First Avenue, near the United Nations building, as was reported by the Post. Although the new headquarters had the necessary approvals from the city Buildings Department, it still required a “temporary certificate of occupancy” from the Fire Department.

In response, Adams allegedly reached out to Nigro, asking for assistance in obtaining the required approval. However, the Post report said that sources indicate that the messages do not indicate any criminal activity beyond typical outreach that elected officials often engage in on behalf of constituents.

On September 10, 2021, Nigro informed Adams that the necessary approval would be granted by the following Monday, September 13. As was noted in the Post report, the Turkevi Center skyscraper officially opened on September 21, 2021, housing the Turkish consulate, meeting space, commercial facilities, and apartments.

Adams’ campaign has refrained from commenting on the text contents, while Nigro and representatives for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI have not provided immediate comments to the Post’s inquiries.

Rubén Díaz Jr., a former state assemblyman and Bronx borough president, expressed skepticism about the significance of the texts, stating, “I don’t think that should be a smoking gun,” the report in the Post said. He emphasized that elected officials routinely make calls to city agencies on behalf of constituents and entities.

City Councilman Kevin Riley echoed this sentiment, asserting that it is not uncommon for elected officials to reach out to commissioners for the benefit of constituents, deeming it standard protocol, as was mentioned in the Post report.

However, these developments are part of a broader federal investigation into whether the Turkish government or Turkish citizens illegally funneled donations to Adams’ campaign through “straw donors,” the Post report said.  This scheme involves contributors listed in official records not being the actual source of funding. Investigators are also probing potential quid-pro-quo favors by Adams,  the report added.

The seizure of Adams’ electronic devices followed an FBI raid on the home of his lead campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, seeking documents related to campaign contributions and records of travel to Turkey by campaign employees, according to the Post report. The investigation has prompted Mayor Adams to cooperate with federal authorities, with his campaign attorney, Boyd Johnson, stating that an internal review had revealed improper behavior, which was promptly reported to investigators.

Adams’ campaign attorney Boyd Johnson said Friday the mayor was cooperating with federal authorities and had already reported that an internal review found “an individual had recently acted improperly,” the Post report said.

“In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators,” Johnson said.