NEW YORK (PIX11) — In light of a recent investigation into Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign, New Yorkers don’t have a favorable opinion of the politician, according to a new poll.
The Marist poll found that 72% of New York City residents think Adams’ campaign did something wrong in its dealings with Turkey and only 18% said the mayor didn’t do anything wrong, according to the data.
A search warrant obtained by The New York Times indicated authorities have been examining whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources, funneled through straw donors.
Investigators have also looked into whether Adams took steps in 2021 to help the Turkish government get city approval to open a Manhattan skyscraper containing offices and diplomatic facilities, despite concerns about the building’s fire prevention systems, according to the newspaper.
Adams acknowledged reaching out once to the city’s fire commissioner about the tower, the Turkevi Center. But he said he was only fulfilling his duty as an elected official to “help constituents navigate the system.”
The federal investigation burst into public view on Nov. 2 when agents searched the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser during his 2021 mayoral campaign, Briana Suggs. Four days later, FBI agents stopped Adams as he was leaving a public event, asked his police security detail to step away and took his electronic devices.
The poll found that 33% believe Adams did something illegal and 39% think he did something unethical but not illegal.
Besides the probe, more than half (54%) of New Yorkers are unhappy with Adams’ performance while only 37% approve of how he is doing his job, according to the poll. In March 2022, 61% approved of his job performance, the data shows.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
