SANTOS HIMSELF FACES MULTIPLE
FEDERAL CHARGES OF FRAUD AND
MONEY LAUNDERING.
HE HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
>>> THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION
FACED SOME NEW QUESTIONS AND
SCRUTINY TODAY.
THEY ARE DOUBLING DOWN ON THEIR
INSISTENCE THAT MAYOR ERIC ADAMS
DID NOTHING CRIMINAL IN AN
ONGOING FEDERAL CAMPAIGN
FUND-RAISING INVESTIGATION. NEWS 4 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
REPORTER MELISSA RUSSO HAS BEEN
FOLLOWING THIS FROM THE START JOINING US LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM
WITH THE LATEST FROM TODAY,
MELISSA.
>> Reporter: NATALIE, EVEN
THOUGH THE FBI CAME FOR HIS PHONES LAST WEEK, THE MAYOR’S
CHIEF
WHETHER ANYONE ELSE ON HIS TEAM
HAS BEEN SEARCHED.
>> WOITITHOUT INTERFERENCE.
>> Reporter: QUESTIONS REMAIN
ABOUT WHETHER MAYOR ADAMS’S
CAMPAIGN IN 2021 IMPROPERLY
ACCEPTED FOREIGN MONEY FROM
TURKISH DONORS AND WHETHER THERE
WAS A CONNECTION WHEN ADAMS, THEN BOROUGH PRESIDENT, ASKED
THEN FIRE COMMISSIONER DAN NIGRO TO HELP EXPEDITE THE OPENING OF
THE NEW TURKISH CONSULATE, WHERE
THERE WERE UNRESOLVED SAFETY
ISSUES. MAYOR ADAMS INSISTS IT WAS JUST
THE NORMAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
OF TRYING TO GET STUFF DONE. >> THIS IS WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
YOU REACH OUT TO AN AGENCY AND
ASK THEM TO LOOK INTO A MATTER.
YOU DON’T REACH OUT TO AN AGENCY
TO COMPEL THEM TO DO ANYTHING
BECAUSE I HAD NO AUTHORITY TO DO
ANYTHING.
I WAS BOROUGH PRESIDENT.
>> Reporter: ADAMS INDICATES HE
WAS ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF
BROOKLYN’S LARGE TURKISH
POPULATION. BUT THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE
FBI BELIEVES THE MAYOR DID
ANYTHING WRONG.
>> DID THE WARRANT THAT YOU WERE
PRESENTED WITH FOR THE SEIZURE
OF YOUR PHONES NAME YOU AS A
TARGET OF THE INVESTIGATION?
OR A WITNESS?
>> Reporter: THE MAYOR’S CHIEF
COUNSEL ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.
>> NO ONE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF WRONGDOING IN THE INVESTIGATION
TO MY KNOWLEDGE. AND THERE HAS BEEN NO INDICATION
THAT I’VE SEEN THAT THE MAYOR IS
A TARGET.
>> Reporter: FORMER FIRE
COMMISSIONER DAN NIGRO HAS
DECLINED TO COMMENT AT THIS
TIME.
HE ALSO HAS NOT BEEN ACCUSED OF
ANY WRONGDOING AND WAS
QUESTIONED BY THE FBI AS A
WITNESS, NOT A TARGET.
ACCORDING TO A PERSON FAMILIAR
WITH THE INVESTIGATION.
WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, THOUGH,
MAYOR ADAMS TAKES GENERAL QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS.
JUST ONE DAY A WEEK NOWADAYS, ON
TUESDAYS.
SO IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER WEEK