Federal agents searched two properties owned by a top adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday morning.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed that agents carried out early-morning raids at two Bronx addresses, which records show are owned by Winnie Greco, a former fundraiser to Adams who now serves as a special advisor of Asian Affairs. Agents could be seen taking boxes of material away and loading them into an SUV.
The purpose of the investigation was not immediately clear, though it appears to be related to questions as to whether she asked for donations in exchange for access to official mayoral events, according to a report by The City.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
It comes as Adams and several members of his inner circle are facing federal scrutiny by Manhattan prosecutors related political fundraising during his 2021 campaign.
A person with knowledge of the investigation said the investigation was being overseen by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn and was separate from the criminal inquiry being conducted by federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
Neighbors of Greco’s said federal agents began searching the two homes, which are on the same block of Gillespie Avenue in the Pelham Bay neighborhood, at around 6:00 a.m. and remained in the area for several hours.
Greco was placed on administrative leave Thursday, according to a City Hall spokesperson. A prolific fundraiser, she had worked closely with Adams for over a decade, serving as his conduit to the city's Asian-American communities.
In November, the city's Department of Investigation opened a probe into her conduct following a news report that raised questions about her political fundraising and whether she used her position in the administration to obtain personal benefits.
According to that report, published by the local news outlet The City, Greco demanded that a city employee complete free renovations on her home when he was supposed to be working. The report appears to have led to DOI investigation as well as an FBI criminal investigation.
Greco is at least the third aide to Adams whose home has targeted by federal agents. In November, the FBI raided the home of Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for Adams, and Rana Abbasova, who worked in the mayor's international affairs office. Four days later, agents quietly seized the mayor’s cellphones and an iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan.
That investigation, which is being led by Manhattan prosecutors, is believed to be focused on whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources, funneled through straw donors, according to a warrant reported on by The New York Times.
Adams has repeatedly deflected questions about the investigation while stressing that he has not officially been accused of wrongdoing.
“Our administration will always follow the law, and we always expect all our employees to adhere to the strictest ethical guidelines,” a spokesperson for the mayor said in a statement Thursday. “As we have repeatedly said, we don’t comment on matters that are under review, but will fully cooperate with any review underway.”
There was no immediate response to a voicemail seeking comment left at a phone number listed as Greco’s.
