Feds investigating whether NYC mayor accepted free airline upgrades

NEW YORK — Federal authorities are investigating whether New York City Mayor Eric Adams received free flight upgrades from Turkish Airlines in the latest revelations of an ongoing corruption probe focused on the mayor’s 2021 campaign.

The new details, reported Friday by The New York Times, suggest the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York are looking at conduct from Adams himself in addition to several others close to him whose homes were raided by federal agents in November.

No one has been charged in the inquiry, but federal authorities are eyeing trips to Turkey that Adams took as Brooklyn borough president where he was upgraded to Turkish Airlines’ top passenger category, according to the Times.

The FBI declined to comment, while the Southern District did not immediately respond.

Adams’ campaign referred comment to Brendan McGuire, who was once Adams’ chief counsel in City Hall and now represents him as an attorney at WilmerHale.

“As borough president, the mayor consistently disclosed his official travel to Turkey, did not receive any improper upgrades and did nothing inappropriate in exchange for an upgrade,” McGuire said in a statement. “Speculation is not evidence. We look forward to a just and timely conclusion to this investigation.”

Multiple reports have suggested investigators are looking for evidence of collusion between the Turkish government and the 2021 campaign.

And on Nov. 2, FBI agents fanned out across the city to conduct several searches and interviews, including at the homes of former Turkish Airlines executive Cenk Öcal, who served on the mayor’s transition committee, as well as Adams’ chief fundraiser and his longtime liaison to the Turkish community in New York City.

That liaison, Rana Abbasova, was instrumental in helping Adams develop a close relationship with Turkish Airlines during his years as borough president, according to the Times, which cited internal emails showing Abbasova setting up meetings between Adams and airline executives. Federal prosecutors believe some of the flight upgrades were arranged by Öcal in conjunction with Abbasova, the report noted.

And as POLITICOhas reported, the relationship appeared to be a strong one. In 2019, for example, Adams was photographed at a Turkish Airlines event holding hands with two executives — including Öcal —over a sheet cake.

Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond. And Abbasova’s attorney, Rachel Maimin, declined to comment.

Federal investigators, who seized several of Adams’ electronic devices in November after confronting the mayor on the street in dramatic fashion, are also looking into whether the fire department improperly expedited a safety inspection for the newly built Turkish Embassy in 2021.

At the time, Adams had won the Democratic primary and was on a glide path to clinching the general election. He made a call to the then-fire commission to inquire about the project, which Turkish officials were racing to have opened in time for a visit from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Turkey.

Emily Ngo contributed to this report.