Early this morning federal agents searched Mayor Eric Adams’ official residence and seized his phone, just hours after a grand jury indicted him Wednesday as part of a lengthy corruption investigation that alleged Adams committed wire fraud, engaged in accepting bribes and solicited foreign contributions.
While the federal indictment alleges Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive unlawful foreign donations, concerns about the Adams’ campaign accepting illegal foreign donations are not limited to the Turkish government. In a series of investigations, Documented and our partners have uncovered more of Adams’ suspicious financial ties to Chinese business figures.
Prosecutors claimed that Adams accepted over $123,000 in luxury travel benefits to destinations such as France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary and Turkey, according to the indictment. Still, his international trips have long been under scrutiny, and it was reported that federal investigators are also probing Adams and his key adviser, Winnie Greco, his director of Asian Affairs. Investigators are focusing on their private emails and records related to multiple trips to China.
Documented, in collaboration with THE CITY, investigated a series of allegations and concerns regarding the mayor and his top aide, Greco, whose residence was raided by the FBI in February. She returned to work by May.
Greco’s relationship to Adams has raised ethical and legal questions surrounding the mayor’s campaign, his mutually beneficial relationships with business figures and donors in the Chinese community, in addition to her role in connecting the mayor with individuals attempting to gain political favors through straw donations. Her relationship with Adams dates back to his tenure as Brooklyn Borough President, during which she became a prolific fundraiser, helping to secure significant donations from the Chinese community.
Also Read: FBI Raids Home of Eric Adams’ Top Aide Winnie Greco, Sparking Split Reactions in Chinese Community
Concerns have also surfaced regarding Greco’s involvement in a separate Documented investigation into the East Broadway Mall, a landmark city-owned building in Chinatown. Former operators and tenants raised questions about the new management, speculating whether the operator gained political favor because of their close ties with Greco and the mayor.
In 2023, the city-owned East Broadway Mall in Chinatown changed hands, transitioning from long-time family ownership to BEG, a shadowy LLC that has kept its funding sources largely under wraps. However, Documented has uncovered direct links between BEG, several high-ranking city officials, and Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, which was responsible for approving the lease transfer.
Notably, Wade Li, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York (CCCNY) — an influential Chinatown business association tied to the project — appeared at a Chinese community event in San Francisco in March 2023. Joining him were Jordan Coleman, Mayor Adams’ son, and Greco, who presented an official proclamation from the Mayor’s Office during the event.
The city approved the lease transfer shortly after Li hosted a fundraiser for Mayor Adams in June at his Manhattan Chinatown restaurant. When questioned about his son’s presence at the San Francisco event alongside Greco, Mayor Adams claimed he was unaware of the situation.
A joint investigation by Documented, THE CITY, and The Guardian US also uncovered new evidence of illegal donation practices at the center of law enforcement probes into Adams’ political fundraising. Three Chinese contributors to Adams’ 2025 re-election campaign revealed that they — and in two cases their spouses — had been reimbursed for over $10,000 in donations by hotel and construction executives, in violation of state law. Among those who allegedly reimbursed others was Weihong Hu, a Chinese businesswoman.
Also Read: How a Hotel Developer Bought Her Way Into Eric Adams’ World – Then Won Favors From City Hall
Hu’s involvement with Adams’ campaign is extensive. In our most recent investigation, we found that Hu not only contributed significantly to his campaigns but also hosted the Mayor’s top advisor Greco, and Adams’ son at her hotel, while employing two of his close associates. Hu later secured lucrative hotel shelter contracts from the Adams administration, worth millions of dollars. The investigation highlights how this relationship evolved, offering a glimpse into the transactional dealings that have shaped the Adams era.
Last August, Documented and THE CITY uncovered that donors from both a New World Mall-Jmart cluster and an AC & Appliances Center cluster reported making contributions at the urging or direction of their workplace managers. These donations, described as fraudulent, raised concerns about the exploitation of New York City’s public matching fund program to benefit Adams’ 2021 campaign.
One donor revealed that she was reimbursed in cash for her $249 contribution to Adams’ campaign, while several others, many of them first-generation immigrants, expressed confusion about donations made in their names. Some claimed they were unaware of donating to Adams at all or believed they were contributing to something other than a political campaign.
Earlier this year, Chinese billionaire Hui Qin pleaded guilty to federal charges of making over $10,000 in illegal donations to three political candidates, including Eric Adams. While Adams downplayed his connection to Qin, referring to him as “one of the thousands of people” he met during his 2021 campaign, Documented uncovered deeper ties. Emma Liu, who still lived with Qin after their divorce, was a notable donor to Adams and was appointed to his Asian Affairs Advisory Council.
The FBI and federal prosecutors are particularly examining at least one trip that was partially funded by the Chinese Communist Party. Adams made seven trips to China between 2014 and 2021, during his time as Brooklyn Borough President, all of which were organized by Greco, who led a nonprofit and volunteered in Adams’ office.
Greco has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
