NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Mayor Eric Adam’s legal team continues to try to move up his corruption and bribery trial by a few weeks. It’s an effort to complete the process sooner so he can focus on his re-election campaign.
We’ve heard a lot about the federal charges against the mayor, but 7 On Your Side Investigates takes a closer look at the charges and the role prosecutors say others played in the alleged crimes.
In the indictment, prosecutors do not use people’s specific names to describe them, but instead use job titles. There are a host of characters, from ‘Businessman 1’ to the ‘Adams Scheduler’ to ‘The Promoter’, but there is one person mentioned more than anyone else: the ‘Adams Staffer’. It’s mentioned more than 130 times in the indictment.
It’s someone who prosecutors allege Adams ordered to obtain illegal contributions and who helped devise and execute a scheme to funnel money to his campaign, “knowing that these donations would violate the law.” the indictment said.
They describe the staffer as someone who volunteered at Brooklyn Borough Hall, was then hired as the mayor’s liaison for Eastern Europe, including Turkey, and went to Turkey with the mayor in 2015.
The job descriptions, duties and dates correspond to former employee Rana Abbasova, whose official title was Director of Protocol for the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs.
She was placed on leave last fall after the FBI searched her home and was fired in early October. Sources told 7 On Your Side Investigates she is now cooperating with the federal investigation. Her attorney declined to comment on details for this story.
Federal prosecutors say it’s the “Adams Staffer” who, while talking to the FBI, went to the bathroom to delete their encrypted messaging app used to talk to the mayor.
In addition to being an alleged middleman for foreign money, prosecutors say the “Adams Staffer” also set up the mayor’s luxury travel benefits.
The indictment alleges that while booking the mayor’s 2021 trip to Istanbul, the “Adam Staffer” asked the “Airline Manager” “How much does he owe?”
When the ‘Airline Manager’ replied, ‘I’m going to charge $50,’ the ‘Adam Staffer’ replied, ‘His every move is now being watched. $1,000 or so. Let it be somewhat real. They say he flies for free. Currently, the media attention is focused on Eric.”
According to the complaint, the mayor was then upgraded to the business class at no charge. Later, a Turkish official told the “Adam Staffer” during a telephone conversation that since Turkey had supported Adams, it was now “his turn” to support Turkey.
The “Adam Staffer” then reportedly sent the mayor a list of members of the Turkish community to add to the mayor’s transition committee when he took office. The “Airline Manager” who helped with the trip was the top name on the list and prosecutors say Mayor Adams added him to his team.
Mayor Adams has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.
Abbasova has not been charged with any crime and her lawyer declined to comment or confirm details for this story.
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