NEW YORK - Federal authorities have raided the home of New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban. Other top New York officials appointed by Mayor Eric Adams - who also has faced a corruption probe - saw their homes raided early Wednesday, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. Now, once again, Adams' ability to govern is doubted.
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Federal authorities have raided the home of New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban, among other city officials. "The Department is aware of an investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York involving members of service," the NYPD said in a statement to BBC News.
Other top New York officials appointed by Mayor Eric Adams - who also has faced a corruption probe - saw their homes raided early Wednesday, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III.
According to a lawyer for New York City Hall, investigators have not indicated that anyone in the mayor's office is a target of an investigation.
The US Attorney's Office and the FBI, which reportedly participated in some of the raids, declined to comment.
Ms Wright and Mr Banks' mobile phones were reportedly seized during the search of their homes on Wednesday.
Mr Caban has led the NYPD since 2023. He is the city's first Latino police commissioner and is considered a close ally of Mayor Adams.
Ms Wright shares her home with David Banks, the city's school chancellor and the brother of Phil Banks, the other city official whose home was raided.
It is unclear if Ms Wright and Phil Banks were both targets of the raid, or just one of them.
Investigators have not indicated to Mr Adams's office that "the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation", City Hall chief legal counsel Lisa Zornberg said in a statement to the BBC.
Mr Banks left the department in 2014 and was never charged with wrongdoing. Mr Adams' tenure also has been marked by a previous investigation.
Edward Caban, Sheena Wright, Phillip Banks
The FBI raided the home of Mr Adams's chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, last year as part of a probe believed to be focused on whether the Adams campaign received illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government and other foreign sources.
Then earlier this summer, Adams, his campaign and City Hall all received subpoenas from federal prosecutors requesting information about the mayor’s overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government.
The most recent round of searches appear to be unrelated to the Turkey inquiry and the investigation by Brooklyn federal prosecutors, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information about the investigations.
Federal investigators appear to have been interested in Adams’ inner circle as far back as this winter. John Scola, an attorney representing four city employees who have accused Pearson of sexual harassment, said three of his clients received visits in February from FBI agents, who wanted to know about Pearson and his work with City Hall.
Pearson previously worked alongside Phil Banks before he was assigned to lead a new mayoral unit tasked with overseeing city agencies.
Throughout the various FBI activities, Adams has forcefully maintained that he has followed the law and that he would continue to focus on his duties as mayor.
Since the Wednesday morning searches, the mayor has personally visited a tunnel emergency, held a public event about the first day of school, and met with residents concerned about e-bikes. On Friday, he held his regularly scheduled senior staff call at 8 a.m., then met with the mayor of Lisbon, Levy said.
Sources: BBC and AP
