New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced criticism from Republican Nikki Haley regarding the overwhelming numbers of migrants in his city. In an unrelated development, a former NYPD inspector and longtime friend of Mayor Adams, Dwayne Montgomery, pleaded guilty to charges related to a scheme to obtain funds from Adams’ 2021 campaign. The scheme involved using straw donors to fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of dollars in matching funds for Adams’ mayoral campaign.
Although details of the plea agreement were not immediately available, Adams addressed Montgomery’s guilty plea during a press conference, stating that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is handling the case. Adams emphasized that there was nothing his campaign did that was part of the wrongdoing, and he urged the district attorney to handle the situation.
Adams explained the level of scrutiny his campaign staff took in verifying donations, including informing donors both verbally and in writing that contributions had to be their own money. The campaign also hired a compliance attorney to ensure that all donations followed the proper protocols, returning tens of thousands of donations that did not meet the requirements. It is important to note that Mayor Adams has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection to this investigation.
The guilty plea from Montgomery follows the previous guilty pleas of his co-defendants, Shahid and Yahya Mushtaq, who also participated in the scheme. As part of their agreement, the Mushtaqs agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Court documents allege that the co-defendants engaged in fraudulent activities between August 2020 and November 2021, submitting falsified campaign contribution forms to the New York City Campaign Finance Board. The prosecution claims that the defendants provided funds to straw donors, coordinated their campaign contributions, and instructed others on how to disguise the contributions to avoid detection.
Meanwhile, Mayor Adams has been under scrutiny due to an ongoing FBI investigation into alleged corruption at City Hall. Despite clashes with the White House over immigration policies and the influx of migrants from the southern border, Adams has not been publicly accused of any wrongdoing related to the FBI’s investigation.
In response to the FBI investigation, Adams established the Eric Adams Legal Defense Trust, which has raised over $650,000 in a short amount of time. The trust aims to support the mayor’s legal defense as the FBI continues its probe into potential corruption at City Hall.
The FBI’s investigation began with the search of Adams’ chief campaign fundraiser’s home, Brianna Suggs. Agents seized electronic devices and a folder labeled “Eric Adams.” Subsequently, the FBI approached Adams directly after an event, seizing his electronic devices as well. The bureau also searched the homes of Rana Abbasova, an aide to Adams at City Hall, and Cenk Öcal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on the mayor’s 2021 transition team.
Mayor Adams has consistently denied any wrongdoing amidst the corruption probes and has stated his full cooperation with investigators.
Digital has reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for comment on Montgomery’s guilty plea, but no response has been received at the time of writing.
It is important to note that the investigation is ongoing, and no conclusions have been reached regarding Mayor Adams’ involvement or any potential charges against him. As the investigation progresses, further updates will be provided.
About the Author:
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Digital, covering politics, crime, police, and more. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter: @danimwallace. Stay updated with the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more political content.
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