Bombshell Case

Good morning from New York City where tomorrow night Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will face off in what promises to be a scrappy debate. I will join the WBEN team for analysis an hour before and after the matchup hosted by CBS News that begins at 9 p.m. Tune in!

Lots of other goings on here in New York City where Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal public corruption charges, including wire fraud, bribery, conspiracy, and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals. The indictment alleges that Adams sought and received luxurious travel accommodations from individuals with ties to the Turkish government and, in turn, took official action as Brooklyn Borough President and as Mayor to benefit Turkey.

In the indictment, prosecutors wrote, “For nearly a decade, Adams sought and accepted improper benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign business people and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.” In exchange for the travel accommodations—which were not disclosed as required by law and totaled over $100,000—Adams allegedly pressured individuals in the New York City Fire Department to approve the opening of the new high-rise Turkish consulate, despite serious safety concerns from fire officials. When discussing the matter with Adams, a Turkish official sent a message saying, “It was his turn to repay.” 

The indictment also details an alleged “straw donor" scheme to illicitly accept campaign contributions from Turkish individuals and companies—both of which are prohibited by federal and local campaign finance laws. With the help of a senior official from the Turkish consulate, the Adams campaign allegedly funneled tens of thousands of dollars from Turkish entities through U.S. citizens who served as passthrough donors. The campaign then used those illegal contributions to receive New York City matching funds, a program whereby small dollar donations are matched by public funds at a rate of 8-1. While not all attributed to illegal contributions, the Adams campaign received over $10 million in public matching funds for his 2021 mayoral race. 

The investigation has been in the public realm for some time: in November of 2023, a top fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, had her home raided and was questioned by the FBI. Days later, federal agents approached Adams after an event in Manhattan and seized his electronic devices. (His phone was locked and Adams told investigators he was unable to unlock it because he recently changed his password and forgot the code.) In February of this year, another campaign fundraiser and New York City Director of Asian Affairs, Winnie Greco, had her home raided as well. Earlier this month, the FBI raided the homes of New York City’s highest ranking officials, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright; Philip Banks, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety; his brother David Banks, the New York City Schools Chancellor; Timothy Pearson, an Adams adviser and former high-ranking police official; and even Police Commissioner Edward Caban. Whew.

Adams pleaded not guilty in a federal courtroom in Manhattan on Friday and has remained defiant amid growing calls for him to resign. Adams held a press conference outside Gracie Mansion where he said, “We expected this. This is not surprising to us at all. The actions that have unfolded over the last 10 months with leaks, commentary, the demonizing—this did not surprise us that we reached this day. From here, my attorneys will take care of the case, so that I can take care of the city.” A handful of prominent New York Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jerry Nadler, and State Senator John Liu, have called on Adams to resign, contending the charges will make it nearly impossible for Adams to govern effectively going forward.

More notably, however, is the group of powerful Democrats who have not called on Adams to resign. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries both released statements saying the legal process should play out, but did not go as far as explicitly calling for his resignation. Governor Hochul also stopped short of urging Adams to resign, but said in a statement, “While I review my options and obligations as the Governor of New York, I expect the Mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well-served by their leaders.” 

The attention shines brightest on Hochul who has the authority under the New York State Constitution to remove local elected officials, including the Mayor of New York City. At an event in Syracuse, Hochul said she had not yet made a decision on whether she will move forward with removing Adams, but offered, “I will be deliberative. I will be thoughtful, but we’re going to come to the right resolution on what to do in this moment.” The investigation (or investigations) continue with additional top officials being raided and interviewed.  Stay tuned for much more to come on this story. 

On the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are steadily increasing their visibility and interactions with the media. However, their strategy focuses on targeted local media and non-traditional platforms rather than long-forum interviews with established political journalists and news networks. Harris called into two popular radio shows, “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show” and “Afternoon Vibes with Ms. Jessica,” as well as a Spanish-language radio station in Arizona and a local Wisconsin station. After the recent debate, Harris sat down for an interview with a local news anchor from WPVI, the main TV station in Philadelphia.

She also recorded an interview with the popular basketball podcast, “All the Smoke,” hosted by former Golden State Warriors players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. Harris has faced criticism over her lack of ‘official’ interviews, but the campaign has remained focused on engaging outlets that can get her message to younger and less politically engaged voters. According to recent poll, Harris has a 31-point lead over Trump with voters between ages 18-29. 

Another major development in the presidential campaign was in Nebraska where Gov. Jim Pillen announced he will not call a special legislative session to change how the state allocates its electoral votes, dashing Republican hopes that the switch could happen before November. Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been pushing state lawmakers to switch to a winner-take-all system, in which the presidential candidate who carries the state gets all five of its electoral votes. Currently, three of the state’s votes are awarded to the candidate who wins each of its three Congressional districts. Pillen’s decision was a recognition that Republicans do not have the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster in the unicameral Legislature.

"Unfortunately, we could not persuade 33 state senators," Pillen said, noting that GOP state Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat, confirmed Monday that he would not support the move so close to Election Day. The change would have netted another electoral vote for Trump. 

-Jack O’Donnell

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