Former Adams City Hall employee arrested for obstructing investigation after instructing witnesses to lie and destroy communication records_1

On October 8, former city official Mohamed Bahi was arrested and charged with obstructing a federal investigation into Eric Adams’ fundraising activities for his mayoral campaign. He faces significant allegations, including witness tampering and destruction of records, which could lead to a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Bahi worked as a senior liaison in the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs from 2022 until his recent arrest. According to an indictment from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York, FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy, and DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber, Bahi took part in a fundraising event in December 2020 for then-candidate Adams, referred to in the indictment as “Official 1.” During this event, four employees of a construction company made contributions in their names at the request of their boss, identified in the indictment as a “businessman.” This practice, known as “straw donations,” allegedly breaches federal law.

The indictment alleges that during the federal investigation into these donations, Bahi tried to bribe several witnesses and destroy evidence to hinder the inquiry.

On June 13 of this year, FBI agents searched the businessman’s residence and issued subpoenas to him and the four donors. After a conversation with Adams, referred to as “Official 1” in the indictment, Bahi purportedly told the businessman to lie to investigators. He then extended similar instructions to the four donors. Following a meeting with Adams on June 14, Bahi again contacted the businessman, indicating that Adams believed he wouldn’t cooperate with law enforcement.

In a subsequent search of Bahi’s home on July 24, FBI agents seized his phone. Before law enforcement arrived, Bahi deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his device. The indictment suggests that Bahi had previously used Signal to communicate with Adams, raising suspicions about his intent to destroy evidence and obstruct the investigation.

Williams stressed that interfering with a federal investigation carries serious consequences and emphasized that this case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of legal compliance.