Federal investigators seized phones at the homes of several top aides to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, according to sources

By John Miller, Mark Morales, Gloria Pazmino and Gregory Krieg, CNN

(CNN) — Federal investigators on Wednesday seized electronic devices from the homes of several top officials in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, including the powerful police commissioner and two deputy mayors, according to multiple sources familiar with the probe.

Sources said investigators from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York seized electronic devices, including phones, from New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. Chancellor of New York City schools David Banks was also subpoenaed for his devices, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Investigators also served a subpoena to Adams’ special adviser Timothy Pearson, a former police inspector, for his phone, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI declined to comment on the recent law enforcement action, but three sources briefed on the investigations indicated that the probe into police officials by the US attorney is not connected to the bureau’s long-running investigation into Adams’s campaign fundraising.

Sources briefed on the investigation say subpoenas were also issued for the phones of three lower ranking police officials.

“The Department is aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York involving members of service,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement. “The Department is fully cooperating in the investigation. Any questions regarding the investigation should be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Adams refused to shed any light on the new probe.

“I have been clear that my message throughout my public life is to follow the law, and that’s what we’re doing and we’re going to comply with whatever inquiry, with whatever we have to submit while this review takes place,” he said.

Adams, who is up for reelection next year, is already facing a series of challengers in the Democratic primary. He will now campaign in the shadow of another secretive federal investigation, which rivals quickly zeroed-in on after word began to spread about the early morning seizures. First elected mayor in 2021, Adams, a former police captain, pledged to crack down on post-pandemic crime. Though some of the ugliest statistics have fallen, Adams’ tactics – including a spike in unlawful stops, according to a report by a federal monitor– along with the initial, slow-moving investigation have cut into his popularity.

Some of Adams’ likely 2025 primary opponents, including former city comptroller Scott Stringer, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, hammered Adams in the hours after the news broke – mocking the mayor’s familiar pledge to “stay focused,” allow “no distractions and grind.”

“If he’s not distracted by all this, he’s delusional,” Stringer said, “and if this is what his focus looks like, he needs new lenses.”

Myrie, who is still exploring a run, posted his op-ed about the beginning of the school year, “Here’s what I’m focused on today,” he said, “creating a safe space for kids after school, so parents can get some relief. That’s what leadership looks like.”

Progressive groups, who opposed Adams as a candidate and have been critical of his running of the city, also pounced.

“Under Adams, the people of New York are sandwiched between a constant stream of budget cuts and FBI raids,” New York Working Families Party Co-Directors Jasmine Gripper and Ana María Archila said in a statement. “Today’s news is the latest example of the Eric Adams administration’s questionable morals and values. We deserve better. We can do better.”

The latest federal searches were notable not only because of how close those involved are to Adams, both personally and in government, but because of their immense power and prestige.

Caban, among those targeted on Wednesday, leads the NYPD, which has a nearly $6 billion annual budget and spends much more than that. The force is, by far, the largest and most costly in the country.

Wright is the longtime partner of David Banks, the city schools chancellor; the couple share the home that was visited by the FBI on Wednesday. David Banks is also the brother of Philip Banks, and the three are some of Adams’ closest advisers and have been in his orbit for years prior to his election.

“I am confirming that I am cooperating with a federal inquiry,” David Banks said in a statement. “At this time, I cannot comment any further on that matter.”

Since last November, multiple officials from the mayor’s office have had their homes searched, their phones seized and their records subpoenaed. Last November, Adams was stopped by FBI agents in the street who served him with a court order and took his phones.

Adams has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and neither he nor anyone in his administration has been charged with a crime

In November 2023, the FBI raided the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser Brianna Suggs. Earlier this year, the homes of a top aide, Winnie Greco, was also raided by the FBI as part of a separate inquiry by the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

In a statement, Chief Counsel for City Hall Lisa Zornberg said, “Investigators have not indicated to us the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation.”

“As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has repeatedly made clear that all members of the team need to follow the law,” Zornberg said.

These latest efforts, which took city officials by surprise, appear to mark an expansion in the number of separate probes by federal investigators and prosecutors into New York City officials.

The full scope of these investigations remain unclear, but CNN has previously reported that in one probe, federal investigators are focused on whether the campaign worked with Turkish government officials in New York to direct donations into Adams campaign coffers.

This headline and story have been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Nicki Brown contributed to this report.

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