Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, has had his iPhones and iPads seized by FBI agents on suspicion of embezzling money intended for his inauguration campaign. The event took place late on Monday. The mayor was approached by the FBI on the street, who asked him to give up his gadgets. Two iPhones and an iPad were taken away. They were given back after a few days.

Boyd Johnson, Adams's lawyer, made the following statement, implying that there was some improper behavior on the part of a person connected to the mayor who had a history of unethical behavior:

"In the spirit of openness and collaboration, this behavior was promptly and actively reported to investigators following the federal investigation's discovery that someone had recently acted inappropriately. Following an event on Monday night, the mayor had promised to work with the FBI and get involved right away. The FBI requested that the mayor turn over his electronic devices, and the mayor complied immediately. The mayor has complied fully with the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing."

At his weekly press conference on Wednesday, Adams was questioned about an FBI operation pertaining to the electronic equipment seized from the residence of Brian Sugrue, a well-known supporter of his primary campaign. When his devices were seized by FBI agents two days prior, Adams did not reveal that he had communicated with them.

Marcia Kramer, a political reporter for CBS New York, has been informed by sources that during the course of the investigation, Adams' attorney did not divulge information that implicated Sugrue, but rather someone else in the mayor's inner circle. The sources did not reveal the person's identity, but they thought that one of the mayor's devices—which was returned a few days later—contained information about them.

"It does this by developing an intricate plan for the mayor's participation. As of right now, there have been no claims of possible misconduct pertaining to the use of foreign funding sources to obtain inauguration funds. But now they're seizing his electronics," university provost David Birdsell stated. According to Birdsell, the accusations do not contain any hidden criminal activity, but they do put the mayor at greater risk.

"There haven't been any claims of improper behavior regarding foreign origins—in this case, Turkish origins—in the inauguration fund collection as of yet. But now they're taking his electronics," he remarked.

What exactly was the FBI trying to find?

"You'll find text messages. You will find emails. Additionally, and perhaps more crucially, records of the times and identities of calls made and received will be found," stated former U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. "As a former member of the legal profession, I hope all members of my staff will follow the law and fully cooperate with any investigation," the mayor said in a statement he released. I'll investigate this thoroughly." 


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