FBI seized electronic devices from New York City Mayor Eric Adams

The FBI seized electronic devices from Mayor Eric Adams earlier this week, according to his campaign, as scrutiny of Adams’ fundraising intensifies while a federal public corruption probe into donations to his campaign is underway.

FBI agents approached Adams on Monday night after an event and requested his electronic devices, said Adams’ campaign attorney Boyd Johnson in a written statement Friday. Evan Thies, a campaign spokesman, said the mayor had been served a search warrant.

To obtain a search warrant, investigators would have had to prove to a judge that there is probable cause to believe that the devices sought would reveal evidence that a crime had been committed.

Adams’ attorney did not specify where the mayor was Monday night but his schedule showed that he was slated to deliver remarks at NYU downtown for an event on autism.

“The Mayor immediately complied with the FBI’s request and provided them with electronic devices. The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation,” Boyd said.

“As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation—and I will continue to do exactly that. I have nothing to hide,” Adams said in a statement.

The New York Times, which first reported the seizure, said the FBI agents took at least two cellphones and an iPad from the mayor, and returned them to him within days.

A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, also declined to comment.

It’s unclear if the seizure of Adams’s devices is directly related to the Nov. 2 FBI raid at the home of Brianna Suggs, the mayor’s main campaign fundraiser. Boyd said Adams is cooperating with federal authorities.

“After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators,” Johnson said in the statement. “The Mayor has been and remains committed to cooperating in this matter.”

It’s the first time Adams’ campaign has pointed to a single person involved with the campaign having been engaged in wrongdoing. Thies said he cannot comment on who the unnamed individual is because the investigation is ongoing.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Adams told reporters that he repeatedly instructed his campaign to follow the rules. “It is what I've stated all the time, I sleep well at night,” he said. “I am clear that we follow the rules.”

Adams did not mention that his devices had been seized.

Most of New York City’s political class is currently in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the annual Somos conference that draws elected officials and lobbyists.

Adams elected not to attend, saying he did not want taxpayers to foot the bill on the trip. “I don't think that it is appropriate for me to, you know, have on a flowery shirt lying on a beach drinking a margarita when I'm telling everyday New Yorkers that it's going to be a tough fiscal crisis,” he said.

This is a developing story.