Former City Hall aide charged in case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams plans to plead guilty
NEW YORK — Mohamed Bahi, an ex-employee of Mayor Eric Adams' administration, plans to plead guilty to charges as part of the federal corruption case against the mayor.
Bahi served as City Hall's chief liaison to the Muslim community.
He resigned in October, the same day that Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Director of Asian Affairs Winnie Greco submitted their resignations. He was indicted by federal investigators a few days later.
According to court papers, Bahi has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy for his role in the collection of illegal straw donor contributions to the mayor's 2021 campaign.
Bahi was named as "Adams Employee 1" in the indictment against the mayor. He was also accused of trying to delete messaging apps from his cellphone when officers came to his house to execute a search warrant.
Sources tell CBS News New York lawyers for the Justice Department have met with Adams' defense team and Manhattan federal prosecutors to discuss dropping the corruption case against the mayor.
Adams has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations. His trial is currently scheduled for April.
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Politico
27 minutes ago
- Politico
Fighting for the Orthodox vote
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier Some of New York City's most influential Orthodox Jewish leaders are flexing their political might in this month's mayoral primary — while also being courted as general election powerbrokers. Andrew Cuomo was endorsed this week by Hasidic leaders in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, including both sides of the Satmar community. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams was their second pick. Adams was endorsed Monday by more than two dozen Hasidic groups in Borough Park, Brooklyn — with Zellnor Myrie their nod for No. 2 on the June 24 ballot. Adams additionally received Orthodox tenant leaders' support Tuesday. In the primary, the Orthodox vote appears to be largely splitting between Adams and Cuomo, though the latter has a distinct advantage. The former governor was endorsed last week by Bobov sect leaders in Borough Park and Orthodox leaders in Crown Heights, Flatbush and Far Rockaway. But in the general election, Mayor Eric Adams will weigh very, very heavily into the equation, POLITICO reports. The incumbent isn't a primary candidate but plans to run in November on two independent ballot lines — one of which is EndAntiSemitism, meant to emphasize his support for Jews. Eric Adams has already been competing with Cuomo in shaping perceptions over who more fiercely defends Israel and condemns antisemitism. The scope of their clash depends on whether Cuomo wins the Dem nomination — he is also poised to run as an independent — but the mayor and former governor both have long been allies of Orthodox New Yorkers. Take Satmar Rabbi Moishe Indig as an example. He backed Adams in 2021 and works closely with the mayor, appearing publicly with him as recently as late May for a town hall on public safety in Jewish communities. 'In November, you'll see … with God's help,' he said Sunday at an event on antisemitism featuring Adams and TV host Dr. Phil, as the Forward's Jacob Kornbluh noted. 'We will come out and show our great support for our great mayor and brother, Eric Adams.' But after endorsing Cuomo on Tuesday, Indig told Playbook, 'I don't know what's going to happen in November.' The work of trying to steer Hasidic leaders away from Cuomo and toward Adams is well underway both behind the scenes — as the New York Times reported — and from the bully pulpit. The mayor accused Cuomo point-blank Tuesday of over-inflating his support among Orthodox Jews. 'He'll go and identify one or two people in the community and say, 'I have the community,'' Adams told reporters at an unrelated event. 'He has what, three or four people who endorsed him in Crown Heights?' Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi rebutted that characterization: 'Governor Cuomo's relationship with the Jewish community is deep, strong and stretches back decades,' he said. 'We're not surprised the mayor is trying to play games behind the scenes.' — Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin, Joe Anuta and Cris Seda Chabrier HAPPY WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Albany and Washington D.C. with no public schedule. WHERE'S ERIC? Public schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Great decisions are made on the golf course. … There's an informal connection when you are on the golf course. … A lot of great deals have been made on the golf course.' — Eric Adams, on two top appointees meeting with Trump at his New Jersey golf course — and securing a promise he wouldn't send in the military or National Guard for anti-ICE protests as long as the NYPD keeps demonstrators in line, the New York Post reports. ABOVE THE FOLD DEMS' LA CHALLENGE: New York Democrats are grappling with their responses to the rapidly evolving Los Angeles clashes over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and arrests. Their through-line is clear enough: Condemn President Donald Trump as authoritarian for deploying the National Guard and threatening to arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Charge that the president is generating a distraction from his controversial 'big, beautiful bill.' And keep the focus on how his enforcement efforts are netting everyday migrants, not violent criminals. But the Dems' messaging gets more muddled when they're asked if the anti-ICE protests have been peaceful or violent. The party is faced with a more complex juggling act than the Republicans, who have uniformly denounced the demonstrations as anti-law enforcement hooliganism enabled by Democratic officials. Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke said Trump's escalation through the National Guard is illegal and meant to stoke chaos. 'Let's be clear about how this began: with peaceful protests, peaceful protests sparked by the unlawful and inhumane targeting, detention and deportation of our immigrant neighbors,' she said. She was later asked about the statistics on officers injured and property damaged as of Tuesday. 'I don't believe there's an insurrection taking place,' said Clarke, who represents Brooklyn. 'And I'd like to see the statistics around those who are ill and sickly, who are currently being detained.' Reps. Grace Meng and Adriano Espaillat contrasted the Los Angeles conflict to the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, with Meng noting the president didn't send in the National Guard when that situation spiraled into violence. 'You have heard all of us say and ask protesters to be peaceful,' Meng said of Los Angeles. 'This is not a violent mob chanting 'hang Mike Pence,' 'where's Nancy' in the Capitol,' Espaillat said. 'For the most part, the protesters are peace-abiding people that are concerned about the aggressiveness of ICE.' Meanwhile, Cuomo released a plan Tuesday on how New York City should respond. He called the conflict in California 'manufactured' by Trump — the same word his rival Adrienne Adams used earlier in an MSNBC interview. 'We must not play into Trump's hands,' the former governor said in a statement. 'Peaceful protest is enshrined in the Constitution, but looting and destruction of property is unlawful and cannot be tolerated.' Earlier Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani — running in second place — said at a news conference, 'There is no room for violence. And ultimately, what has troubled me greatly is the cherry-picking of very few incidents to then justify the deployment of National Guard.' — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST FROM A TO Z: Adrienne Adams criticized Mamdani's call to abolish ICE on Tuesday — in a rare show of public disagreement between two members of the Working Families Party slate. 'A lawless president does not mean we abolish entire agencies and our laws,' the council speaker posted on X Tuesday. 'I've taken on Donald Trump and ICE — and won. People elect us as leaders to solve problems, not pledge allegiance to rigid ideologies.' Adams' post included a video clip of Mamdani — when asked Monday on MSNBC if ICE should be abolished — saying 'I believe it should.' In the clip, Mamdani notes that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who backed him with her top endorsement last week — agrees with his stance. So Adams' post doesn't just draw a distinction between herself and Mamdani, but also with AOC, who gave Adams her second-ranked endorsement. 'There was going to come a point and a time when we are going to have to double down on the fact that Adrienne is a moderate, and this WFP shit is going to have to go sideways,' said a consultant familiar with Adams' thinking who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. 'The divorce is coming,' they added. The WFP didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. All the top contenders challenging Cuomo have assiduously avoided criticizing each other and have instead relentlessly attacked the front-runner. But with two weeks until the primary and polling showing Mamdani closing in on Cuomo, Adrienne Adams seems to have decided it was time for a tactical change. Mamdani, however, is sticking with the plan, his spokesperson Andrew Epstein said: 'Zohran has said it over and over again since launching this campaign: he will only criticize disgraced New York executives past and present.' — Jeff Coltin CASINO BATTLE ROYALE: A bid to build a casino in the Bronx became the subject of dueling lobbying efforts Tuesday, hours ahead of Bally's last shot to overcome a key hurdle in the City Council. The proposal for a casino at the former Trump golf course at Ferry Point — now called Bally's Golf Links — needs an added layer of approval from the state Legislature since the site is classified as public parkland. Before Albany lawmakers can take up that measure, the Council must pass a resolution permitting the move. Bally's last shot to secure that so-called home rule message before the end of Albany's legislative session is during the Council meeting Wednesday. Cue the eleventh-hour drama. As the Bronx bidder tried to whip votes in favor of the resolution, and over the objections of the local lawmaker representing the area, the team behind a competing casino bid backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen embarked on a lobbying effort of its own, according to several people familiar with the calls. 'Their large army of lobbyists is going very hard,' said one Council member familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to speak freely. Council Member Kristy Marmorato, who represents the area, presents a major challenge for Bally's: She is resisting its plans for a gaming facility in her district, according to people familiar with her position. That's made the company's effort to win over some of her fellow lawmakers more difficult, as they'd be breaching unwritten protocol by overriding a colleague on a local matter, the people said. Marmorato did not return requests for comment. Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for Metropolitan Park — the name of Cohen's proposed complex at Citi Field, which would include a casino — declined to comment. Meanwhile, other Council members have expressed reservations that if Bally's won a casino license, it would have to pay $115 million to the Trump Organization, per the companies' purchase agreement reported by the New York Times. Bally's is one of eight bidders competing for one of three New York City-area casino licenses. The field has narrowed in recent months as other bidders — including Related Companies, which had planned a gaming facility at Hudson Yards — have scrapped casino plans amid political headwinds. — Janaki Chadha CORRECTING THE RECORD: A mailer from the New York City Campaign Finance Board hit New Yorkers' mailboxes this week, correcting the record about the 11 mayoral candidates appearing on the Democratic primary ballot. The initial voter guide sent to 3.5 million registered voters last month wrongfully included Eric Adams in the Democratic primary, among other errors, POLITICO first reported. — Jeff Coltin ATTACK AD: A new super PAC funded by business executives is tying Mamdani to the man accused of murdering two Israel embassy employees in an antisemitic shooting last month. The 30-second digital ad from Sensible City, first reported by the Daily News, includes a brief clip of Elias Rodriguez getting arrested, among other shots of anti-Israeli graffiti and street protests, while a voiceover says 'it's not safe.' The ad then shows Mamdani and says he wants to defund the police. 'It's disgusting, slanderous and desperate,' Epstein said about the ad. Cuomo has also used recent anti-Israel attacks to take an indirect swipe at Mamdani, POLITICO reported. A spokesperson for Sensible City didn't return a request for comment. — Jeff Coltin EVENING IT OUT: Seven mayoral candidates told a government reform group they support moving city elections to even-numbered years, which would put those races on the ballot alongside state and federal elections. Cuomo, Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander were among those backing the reform in a Citizens Union candidate questionnaire, the organization announced in a press release Tuesday. Mamdani didn't respond. Almost 90 percent of council candidates surveyed also support the proposal. Citizens Union is among the groups pushing a city charter revision commission to consider the change — which would also require a state constitutional amendment. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — A measure banning most broker fees goes into effect today, after a federal judge cleared the way. (Gothamist) — The City Council requested an investigation into the NYPD sharing information with federal authorities amid Trump's immigration crackdown. (The New York Times) — Council support for legislation clearing the way for a casino in the Bronx is still up in the air. (City & State) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY FILTERING FEARS: Democratic state lawmakers are trying to change New York's forthcoming automatic voter registration system with last-minute adjustments to a bill that's meant to ensure non-citizens are not accidentally added to the rolls. New York's automatic voter registration system — which will take effect this year — allows people to register to vote when applying for Medicaid benefits or a driver's license. There's an opt-out choice for people who do not want to be voters. But as the Trump administration takes a hard-line immigration stance and seeks greater control over state-administered elections, Democrats proposed a 'secure' process to filter out people who are not citizens and cannot legally vote. The bill is being considered in the final days of the legislative session. It was previously approved in the Senate, but is yet to come up for a vote in the Assembly amid concerns it does not include sufficient safeguards for undocumented immigrants as they apply for driver's licenses. Democrats in recent days have moved to change the bill to require a filter that can recognize documents like birth certificates so that ineligible voters — such as undocumented immigrants — would not be able to register to vote when applying for a driver's license. It's not yet clear if the change is enough to assuage the concerns of some Democrats, who fear that automatic voter registration would put undocumented people at greater deportation risk. A coalition of lefty groups — including Make the Road New York and the New York Immigration Coalition — pressed top lawmakers in a letter this week to pass the measure with the amendment. 'In this moment, when immigrant and voter rights are under attack across the country, New York has the responsibility to do everything to protect immigrant New Yorkers from being deported by the Trump administration,' the coalition, New Yorkers for Inclusive Democracy, wrote in the letter. 'Passing the Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration bill is a necessary step to ensure that no immigrant New Yorkers are unjustly deported.' — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Top state Democrats are eager to blame Washington Republicans for federal funding problems. (City & State) — Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado's bid to take on Gov. Kathy Hochul could be hobbled by his lack of name recognition. (Spectrum News) — Hochul and fellow Democratic governors will be grilled by Congressional Republicans over their states' immigration policies. (Times Union) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION GOING AFTER 'SANCTUARIES': Rep. Nick Langworthy has introduced congressional Republicans' latest effort to target cities that limit cooperation between federal immigration officers and local law enforcement. On Tuesday, the Buffalo-area Republican unveiled the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025, legislation that would block federal funding for 'sanctuary' jurisdictions. It's the House companion to a measure previously introduced by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. 'The violence we are seeing happen in LA right now is a cautionary tale for New York, another sanctuary state catering to criminal illegal immigrants and left-wing extremists,' Langworthy said in a statement. The bill's cosponsors include North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, who's mulling a run for governor. It's being introduced as three Democratic governors, including Hochul, prepare to testify Thursday before the House Oversight Committee on their blue states' policies protecting immigrants. Defenders of 'sanctuary' jurisdictions have noted that federal and New York officers work together on violent crimes or in instances where a warrant is proffered, but that local and state resources are not used for civil infractions, freeing them up to focus on more serious offenses. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Thirty-eight House Republicans are warning Senate leaders against using 'budget gimmicks' as they revise President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' (POLITICO) — Rep. Yvette Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Trump should be impeached over the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. (POLITICO) — Rep. Ritchie Torres wants federal contractors to reevaluate and potentially revise degree requirements for their job offerings. (NY1) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — Jack Ciattarelli will get another shot at becoming the next governor of New Jersey. (POLITICO) — Attorney General Letitia James is investigating a police shooting that killed a sword-wielding man. (Times Union) — A former state assemblymember has opened a cannabis dispensary. (Watertown Daily Times) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES: Ryan Birchmeier, former communications director to Eric Adams, has launched Williams Street Strategies, a communications consultancy named for the address of his first job in government at NYCEDC … Nick E. Smith is now president of Polaris New York, a consulting firm focused on fundraising, government relations and communications. He was previously executive director of Communities Resist and was first deputy public advocate under Jumaane Williams … Alex Gleason is returning to the New York City Central Labor Council as policy and campaigns director, after five years at Mercury Public Affairs. MEDIAWATCH: Mark Guiducci is taking over as top editor of Vanity Fair, per NYT's Katie Robertson. The 36-year-old Guiducci 'takes over a job that is very different from the one held by previous editors of Vanity Fair. He will be the first 'global editorial director' at Vanity Fair — gone is the editor-in-chief title — and will oversee Vanity Fair in the United States as well as editions across the world.' HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson … former NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum … Deandra Khan of 32BJ SEIU … Jonathan Yedin … Lucas Acosta … Reid Pillifant … Greta Van Susteren … Mehmet Oz … Will Rahn … Wendy Teramoto … CNN's Morgan Rimmer … Juliette Medina … Bob Brockmann … (WAS TUESDAY): Dovid Efune Missed Tuesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton family confirms death of baby Musa in Panama
The family of a Hamilton man who disappeared in Panama with his two young children says they've received DNA confirmation that remains recovered from a river late last month belong to seven-month-old Musa Iqbal. The heartbreaking development comes almost three weeks after Ghussan Iqbal, 31, vanished into the dense jungle near the border of Panama and Costa Rica along with his son Musa and two-year-old daughter Nousaybah. On May 31, federal Panamanian police announced they discovered the body of a minor on the banks of the Changuinola River. Musa's aunt said the family received the dreaded DNA confirmation Monday evening. 'It's been a difficult day,' a grieving Nagham Azzam-Iqbal told The Spectator on Tuesday, as she and her husband, Sulman Iqbal, drove around looking for a cemetery that keeps with traditional Muslim burial customs. 'The closest Muslim cemetery is four hours away,' she added, noting blockades in the region — the province of Bocas Del Toro recently declared a state of emergency amid government protests — have further challenged things. 'We are currently going (from) cemetery to cemetery trying to find a burial plot.' Ghussan Iqbal, 31, graduated from McMaster University and lived on the Hamilton Mountain before he moved to the Panamanian city of Changuinola about a year ago, just before his wife, Fatima, gave birth to their now seven-month-old son. He went missing with his kids on May 21. The Ancaster couple plan to fly back to Hamilton this weekend after supporting burial arrangements. They arrived in Panama on May 22, a day after Iqbal's wife, Fatima, awoke to find her husband and kids missing. Azzam-Iqbal said her brother-in-law — who moved to his wife's native country about a year ago, before Musa's birth — has a history of untreated mental illness and prior psychotic episodes. Although initially beset by a lack of resources and personnel, efforts to find Iqbal and his kids were upped last week with the deployment of dogs and dive teams to the search area, according to family. A new prosecutor was also assigned to the lead the case. The intensification of the search came as the family expressed frustration over progress and communication from authorities. In several social media videos, Azzam-Iqbal and Sulman pleaded with Canadian officials to step in. 'We were really hoping to come back with closure,' Azzam-Iqbal said Tuesday, adding she and Sulman have two young children and jobs waiting in Hamilton. 'We will continue advocating from home.' The search for Iqbal and two-year-old Nousaybah remains ongoing. Azzam-Iqbal said there have been no reported sightings of her niece since May 24, while sightings of her brother-in-law have been 'random, sporadic and none confirmed.' In light of Musa's death, a reward for information leading to the location of Iqbal and his daughter has been upped from $1,000 to $3,000, the family announced on social media Tuesday. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
A curfew — and faith leaders' calls — quiet the night
Los Angeles had its quietest night in a week on Tuesday, as a combination of a city curfew and faith leaders' calls for nonviolent resistance appeared to quell furious protests against the Trump administration's sprawling immigration raids, for at least one evening. Mayor Karen Bass ordered the curfew to be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles, which houses City Hall, the main county criminal courthouse, LAPD headquarters and federal buildings that have been the target of protests leading to hundreds of arrests and assorted property damage. Police reported 'at least' 25 arrests for curfew violations as of 10 p.m., according to a department spokeswoman, though that number was expected to grow. Shortly before the curfew took effect, Bass joined an array of faith leaders in Grand Park to call for stern,but 'nonviolent,' resistance to President Trump's immigration sweeps. 'We will not obey in advance. We will not turn our gaze. We will not fan the flames of extremism. We will not answer violence with violence,' said Rabbi Sharon Brous, in an impassioned speech in which she likened Trump to the 'authoritarian' Pharoah who oppressed Jews in the Bible. Shortly before the curfew went into effect, the Grand Park group marched toward the federal building on Los Angeles Street, walking through an area that had for days been covered in shattered glass, graffiti and spent police munitions. As the faith leaders arrived and asked their group to take a knee and pray on the building's steps, Department of Homeland Security officers trained pepper ball guns on clergy members, and National Guard members tensed their riot shields. 'We see that you are putting on your masks, you don't need them,' the Rev. Eddie Anderson said to the officers and guardsmen. 'The people have gathered together to remind you there is a higher power. To remind you that in Los Angeles everybody is free, and no human is illegal.' But while Johnson and the larger group were able to move past the federal building without issue, the wail of police sirens filled downtown Los Angeles as the clock struck 8 p.m. An LAPD helicopter almost immediately declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, just minutes after a group of clergymen said prayers and laid flowers at the feet of a column of California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear. 'We will be back here tomorrow. Nobody needs to get shot today,' Johnson told the crowd. Los Angeles police soon established a skirmish line at the intersection of Temple and Los Angeles streets, where they confronted a crowd of about 150. The officers summoned a group of mounted officers, who trampled through traffic and knocked at least one protester down. Shortly after, officers fired less-lethal rounds in the direction of a person who threw a glass bottle from an overhead pedestrian bridge, while another group of officers moved toward protesters who remained in front of the federal building. Around 8:40 p.m., law enforcement again declared an unlawful assembly both on ground and by helicopter. A high beam from a helicopter shone down on the crowd. Officers forced protesters several blocks up Temple Street, occasionally firing less-lethal munitions and shoving people, but the crowd had dwindled to less than two dozen by that point.
