A series of FBI raids has shaken the highest echelons of New York City’s government, with top officials, including leaders of the NYPD, being targeted in a widening investigation. The latest developments mark nearly a year of federal scrutiny into the city’s leadership, including Mayor Eric Adams, who was himself the subject of an investigation last November.
At the center of the latest raids are three brothers with close ties to Adams: David Banks, the city’s schools chancellor; Philip Banks III, the deputy mayor for public safety; and Terence Banks, a former Metropolitan Transportation Authority official who recently launched a consulting firm. The FBI executed search warrants on their homes and seized their electronic devices, including phones and computers.
The motives behind the raids remain unclear, with Adams’s chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, stating that the mayor’s office has not been informed of the investigation’s focus. Adams himself deflected questions about the raids, emphasizing his commitment to upholding the law.
The FBI’s investigation has also ensnared other high-ranking officials, including Tim Pearson, a senior adviser to Adams, who was subpoenaed for his cellphones. Multiple NYPD officials, including Commissioner Edward Caban, have had their homes searched and phones subpoenaed. The list of targeted NYPD officials includes two lieutenants who work in the commissioner’s office, two precinct commanders, a lieutenant in the 10th Precinct, and NYPD Chief Raul Pintos.
The FBI’s scrutiny of NYPD leaders appears to be a separate investigation from the one into Adams, who was probed last November over allegations that his 2021 mayoral campaign conspired to receive illegal foreign donations from entities tied to the Turkish government.
The investigations have cast a shadow over Adams’s administration, which has been embattled since the federal probe into his campaign finances became public in November. The mayor’s favorability ratings have taken a hit, with only 16% of likely voters expressing support for him in a recent survey. As the investigations continue, the city’s leadership remains under intense scrutiny.
