The head of the Office of Emergency Management warned that a series of federal investigations against the Adams administration could seriously undermine the city's ability to keep New Yorkers safe.
Commissioner Jack Iscol bluntly told senior OEM staff in a private call Friday that this week’s round of investigations and raids could prove to be a distraction for the administration’s leadership.
“This is not good,” He saidAccording to a recording of the meeting obtained by The Associated Press.
“There’s a lot going on in the city, and what concerns me most is that the city leadership is distracted,” Iscol said, adding that he has not yet spoken to City Hall leadership.
OEM, which handles the city’s emergency procedures, is part of the portfolio handled by Vice Mayor Philip Banks III, whose home was raided this week and phones were confiscated.
Councilman Bob Holden (D-Queens) — who earlier this week called on Police Commissioner Edward Cabán to resign after federal agents seized his phones, along with those of other NYPD members, during a raid — said he agreed with Iscol’s concerns.
With the investigation looming, leaders like Cabán are likely to feel less confident in their decision-making “that will impact public safety.”
“If you were under scrutiny, would you be as confident and focused?” he told the Post.
“Public safety is paramount in New York City — especially now — and we need everyone’s help,” he said. “You can’t function at 100% under the pressure of a federal investigation.”
Other top administration officials whose devices have been seized in recent days include Police Commissioner Edward Cabán, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and Banks’ brother, David Banks, the city schools chancellor.
According to sources, the phones of another top aide to Adams — retired NYPD Inspector Timothy Pearson — were also subpoenaed.
No one has been charged with any crime.
The investigation is being led by federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, who are also investigating Adams' 2021 campaign in another unrelated high-profile probe, sources said.
Federal agents have targeted at least eight top aides to Adams, including his campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs, whose home was raided in November over allegations of a bribery scheme involving City Hall and the Turkish government.
In a separate investigation overseen by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, FBI agents in February raided two properties belonging to Vinnie Greco, Adams’ director of Asian affairs.
Federal prosecutors investigating 2021 election fundraising have issued grand jury subpoenas to Hizzoner as well as City Hall officials and his campaign.
City Hall spokesman Fabian Levy dismissed concerns that the investigation would have any impact on the safety of New Yorkers, pointing to a drop in crime statistics in the city since the first federal raid in November and the city's response to the flooding on Wednesday. Queens Midtown Tunnel,
“Ultimately, New Yorkers care about whether the streets are still safe, whether trash is still being picked up, whether kids can go to school. And the answer to every one of those questions is a resounding yes,” he said.
An OEM spokesperson said Iscol and the Adams administration are “engaged in a mission of public safety.”
post with wires
