New York New York | Federal Agents Search Homes of N.Y.C.
New York | Federal Agents Search Homes of N.Y.C. Deputy Mayors and Schools Chief Share full article
Federal Agents Search Homes of
N.Y.C. Deputy Mayors and Schools
Chief
The searches do not appear related to the federal investigation
into Mayor Eric Adams and his campaign fund-raising, according
to people familiar with the matter.
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Federal agents searched the homes of Philip Banks III, left, David Banks and Sheena
Wright. The focus of the investigation was unclear. John Minchillo/Associated Press,
Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The New York Times and Jeenah Moon for The New York Times
By William K. Rashbaum Dana Rubinstein Jeffery C. Mays and Michael Rothfeld
Sept. 5, 2024 Updated 3:20 p.m. ET
Federal agents on Wednesday searched the homes of three top city
officials close to Mayor Eric Adams, people with knowledge of the
matter said.
The searches occurred at the Queens home of the deputy mayor for
public safety, Philip Banks III , and a home in Harlem shared by the
first deputy mayor, Sheena Wright, and her partner, Schools
Chancellor David C. Banks, the people said. It was unclear if the
search of the home shared by the chancellor and the first deputy
mayor targeted one of them or both.
The searches were unrelated to the federal corruption inquiry
focused on the mayor and his campaign fund-raising, the people
said, but appeared to further entangle the Adams administration in
a morass of criminal inquiries.
Neither Ms. Wright, 54, Mr. Banks, 61, nor Chancellor Banks, 62,
immediately responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for
City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The search of the schools chancellor’s home took place at a busy
time for him — on the day before the first day of school in New
York City.
Spotted carrying a purple folder into his home on Thursday
morning, Chancellor Banks appeared confused by the presence of
reporters milling about.
As he punched in a code on a panel above the doorknob, he looked
over his shoulder, and asked, “What, was there a shooting or
something?”
The new investigation, which was first reported by The City , is
being conducted by prosecutors from the office of the United States
attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is separately
investigating the mayor and his campaign fund-raising.
A representative of the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment.
The full scope of that investigation also remains unclear. But it has
focused at least in part on whether Mr. Adams and his campaign
conspired with the Turkish government to collect illegal foreign
donations and whether Mr. Adams, in return, pressured the Fire
Department to sign off on a new high-rise Turkish Consulate,
despite safety concerns. It has also looked at free flight upgrades
Mr. Adams received from Turkish Airlines.
Mr. Adams has consistently denied wrongdoing, and the federal
authorities have not accused him of any crimes.
Anusha Bayya and Eliza Shapiro contributed reporting. Susan C. Beachy contributed
research.
William K. Rashbaum is a Times reporter covering municipal and political corruption,
the courts and broader law enforcement topics in New York. More about William K.
Rashbaum
Dana Rubinstein covers New York City politics and government for The Times. More
about Dana Rubinstein
Jeffery C. Mays is a Times reporter covering politics with a focus on New York City Hall.
More about Jeffery C. Mays
Michael Rothfeld is an investigative reporter in New York, writing in-depth stories
focused on the city’s government, business and personalities. More about Michael
Rothfeld
See more on: Eric Adams , David C. Banks , Philip Banks III
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Our Coverage of the Adams Administration
‘Dinkins 2’ : Mayor Eric Adams is hoping to persuade his base of Black middle-
and older voters that his re-election bid is being undermined just as David
Dinkins’s was in 1993 .
Hearing Over Top Lawyer Pick : Randy Mastro, Adams’s choice for corporation
counsel, was grilled by skeptical City Council members at a contentious hearing.
Sidelined at the Democratic Convention : Adams, who has criticized the White
House over the migrant crisis, did not receive a speaking slot at the convention in
Chicago.
Hunt for Places to Build : The mayor signed an executive order that directs every
city agency to investigate whether they have land that can be developed for new
homes.
Migrant Crisis : New York City officials began clearing out an encampment of
homeless migrants on Randall’s Island as the city contends with a growing
number of migrants sleeping outside.
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