A court order issued Wednesday revealed that the city Department of Investigation has an ongoing investigation of whether Mayor Eric Adams violated ethics laws — a probe that is proceeding even after the mayor got his corruption case tossed after the Trump Justice Department abandoned it, according to The City.
Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho revealed the existence of DOI’s investigation in issuing an order that opens the door for DOI to use material from the defunct federal indictment in its continuing conflict-of-interest probe of the mayor, the news site said.
The focus of DOI’s continuing conflict-of-interest investigation is not clear. The federal indictment alleges that Adams — after he won the 2021 primary but before he became mayor — pressured FDNY officials to speed up approval of a fire suppression system in Turkey’s new consulate building in Midtown over the objections of fire safety inspectors.
A spokesperson for DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber on Wednesday declined to comment on the investigation to The City.
The judge's decision also frees up the city Campaign Finance Board to use the material in its ongoing audits and investigations of Adams’ 2021 and 2025 campaigns, the news site said.
The thrust of the CFB’s investigation has emerged in public filings over the last few months as the agency repeatedly denied Adams’ re-election campaign public funds due to what the board found to be his noncompliance with its rules. That included failing to disclose the true source of some donors and potential in-kind payments to his campaigns, The City said.
