Home of Fundraiser for NYC Mayor Is Raided

Eric Adams quickly returns to New York City
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 2, 2023 4:06 PM CDT
Mayor Skips White House Talks After Raid of Fundraiser's Home
Gated front steps lead up to the 929 unit residency at Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday. FBI agents raided the home of Brianna Suggs.   (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Federal agents on Thursday raided the home of a top fundraiser and longtime confidante to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who promptly ditched a planned White House meeting and flew home from Washington. Agents searched the home of Brianna Suggs in Brooklyn, a law enforcement official told the AP. The official, who was not authorized to publicly disclose details of the investigation, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The official declined to say whether Suggs was the target of an investigation. Vito Pitta, an attorney for the Adams campaign, said the mayor was not contacted as part of the inquiry but will cooperate if asked. "The campaign has always held itself to the highest standards," he added.

Suggs, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is a campaign consultant to Adams who raised money for his election effort and also lobbied his administration on behalf of corporate clients. Suggs has worked closely with Adams since at least 2017, when he was Brooklyn Borough President. She later joined his mayoral campaign, helping to raise more than $18.4 million for his primary and general elections, according to her LinkedIn profile. News of the raid came shortly after Adams announced that he was returning to New York City from a planned trip to Washington, DC, to "deal with a matter." A sit-down with senior White House staff and the mayors of Denver and Chicago proceeded without Adams.

Suggs has continued to solicit donations for Adams' reelection bid while simultaneously starting her own lobbying firm, records show. Her clients have included real estate interests with business before the city, including a Chinatown mall that was seeking a lease renewal, per the AP. Suggs' dual efforts as fundraiser and lobbying have drawn scrutiny from good government groups, though she has denied wrongdoing. A neighbor, Christopher Burwell, said he saw close to a dozen people in FBI windbreakers leaving Sugg's apartment Thursday. A spokesperson for the federal prosecutor's office in Manhattan declined to comment.

(More Eric Adams stories.)

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