Indictment of NYC Mayor Has FDNY Connection

The federal bribery and corruption indictment of New York Mayor Eric Adams has an FDNY connection, alleging that certain chiefs were threatened with termination if they refused to accede to the mayor’s demands to provide preferential treatment for a building under construction for the Turkish government. Adams is accused of bribery, wire fraud, and receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals for having accepted over $100,000 to help the government of Turkey.

According to the indictment, the mayor pressured both the FDNY Chief of Department and the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention (neither of who’s names appeared in the indictment) to issue a “conditional letter of no objection” to allow the Turkish Consulate to occupy a high rise building that had numerous documented safety violations.

Quoting from the indictment

• In 2017, construction began on a 36-story building located at 821 United Nations Plaza, New York, New York, and referred to as the Turkish House or Turkevi Center.
• The Turkish House was designed to serve as, and now serves as, the headquarters of multiple Turkish diplomatic missions, including the Turkish Consulate.
• The cost of the Turkish House was significant and was a topic of political debate in Turkey.
• On or about September 5, 2021, the Turkish Official began asking ADAMS, both directly and through the Adams Staffer, to intervene with the Commissioner of the FDNY in order to secure a TCO [temporary certificate of occupancy] for the Turkish House.
• On September 6, 2021, ADAMS messaged the Adams Staffer that he would contact the FDNY Commissioner.
• On September 7, 2021, ADAMS messaged the Adams Staffer that he had a scheduled call with the FDNY Commissioner later that day.
• On September 8, 2021, ADAMS messaged the FDNY Commissioner, asking him to call ADAMS.
• Also on September 8, 2021, ADAMS messaged the FDNY Commissioner, stating, in part, “They said they needed a letter of Defect from FDNY to DOB. They know they have some issues but according to them with the letter the DOB wi[ll] give the TCO.” The FDNY Commissioner responded, “We will get on it tomorrow.” Through the Adams Staffer, ADAMS assured the Turkish Official, “Don’t worry,” “I am on top of this.”
• On September 9, 2021, after a contractor working for the Turkish Consulate sent the FDNY a letter describing the status of the Turkish House’s fire alarm system, an FDNY employee with responsibility for inspecting the system sent the Fire Prevention Chief the following email:
  • Chief, After reviewing the letter, I do not see any way we would be willing to accept it. They have some major issues like central station and fan shutdowns which would be an automatic violation order. Aside from that, he gave us a list with over 60 defects and some of them list 5-10 problems in each one. FAIU would not go beyond 20 defects without issuing a violation order. In my opinion, this is document does not take any liability that we would be comfortable with. I believe it actually tells us this building is not safe to occupy. Feel free to reach out to discuss further. Thanks
• On the morning of September 10, 2021, ADAMS messaged the FDNY Commissioner, stating that the Turkish Official had understood that the FDNY was going to inspect the Turkish House the previous day, and “They really need someone … by today if possible. If it is [im]possible please let me know and I will manage their expectation.”
• The FDNY Commissioner wrote back that “There seems to be a difference of opinion between the inspector” and the private alarm engineer responsible for the building, but that the FDNY Commissioner was “trying to iron it out.”
• Also on the afternoon of September 10, 2021, the FDNY Chief of Department summoned the Fire Prevention Chief to a meeting.
• The Chief of Department was the FDNY Commissioner’s direct subordinate and the Fire Prevention Chiefs superior.
• The Chief of Department informed the Fire Prevention Chief, in substance, that if the FDNY did not assist the Turkish Consulate in obtaining a TCO, both the Chief of Department and the Fire Prevention Chief would lose their jobs.
• The Fire Prevention Chief then drafted a “conditional letter of no objection” for the Turkish House. The Fire Prevention Chief had never before written a “conditional letter of no objection,” which was not standard FDNY procedure. Instead, the Fire Prevention Chief wrote this letter, which he later described as “unprecedented,” to inform the DOB that FDNY did not object to issuing the TCO, provided that the private engineers affirmed that the fire alarm system functioned properly, and “assum[ing] the Department of Buildings has inspected, tested and approved the installed water-based fire suppression systems.”
• At 2:17 pm on September 10, 2021, the FDNY Commissioner wrote ADAMS, “Letter being drafted now. Everything should be good to go Monday morning.” Four minutes later, ADAMS messaged the Turkish Official, “From the commissioner: Letter being drafted now. Everything should be good to go Monday morning.” The Turkish Official responded, “You are Great Eric, we are so happy to hear that. You are a true friend of Turkey.”
• ADAMS replied, “Yes even more a true friend of yours. You are my brother. I am hear [sic] to help.” At 2:30 pm, the Turkish Official confirmed, “You are such a friend.” At 2:31 p.m., the Fire Prevention Chief sent the “conditional letter of no objection” to the private alarm engineer.
• After ERIC ADAMS, the defendant, pressured the FDNY to permit a TCO to be issued for the Turkish House, the Turkish Official continued to fulfill his end of the bargain, by providing additional luxury travel benefits to ADAMS. These benefits, which ADAMS accepted, were worth more than $14,000.

There is no indication in the indictment that FDNY personnel were in any way aware of the financial aspects of Mayor Adams’ plan, nor shared in the benefits. It is also highly likely that the FDNY chiefs are cooperating with federal prosecutors.

Here is a copy of the indictment: