Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday said his controversial former top fundraiser is now doing “administrative work” for his campaign — despite being wrapped up in an ongoing federal corruption probe.
Brianna Suggs, whose Brooklyn home was raided by the FBI in early November, is still on the campaign payroll, but will not be handling any fundraising duties, Adams confirmed to host Dan Mannarino on WPIX-TV’s “Politics on PIX.”
“There’s so much administrative paperwork, documentation,” the mayor said when asked what role Suggs, 25, now plays on Adams’ team.
“Dan, one day I want to walk you through what it takes to run the internal mechanism of a campaign. I think it’s unfair. I think it’s unfair to low-income New Yorkers that want to run for office,” Adams continued.
“So, all of that documentation she knows it well and she’s going to be part of the process.”
When Mannarino asked if Suggs had a new title, Adams replied “Yes,” adding, “We will come up with the official title and roll that out.”
Adams said late last month that Suggs would remain with the campaign in some capacity outside of fundraising, but had not revealed what that role would be until Sunday’s broadcast.
The young operative rose through the ranks of the Big Apple Democratic machine due in large part to her ties to Adams’ longtime adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin, sources have told The Post.
Lewis-Martin has been described by insiders as Sugg’s political “godmother.”
The raid on Suggs’ home came amid allegations of a kickback scheme involving City Hall and the Turkish government, with several people close to Adams rumored to be under investigation.
Late last month, sources said Suggs was forced to retain her own lawyer in the probe.
On Sunday, Adams was asked if he thought he would be dragged deeper into the probe.
“Do you welcome a subpoena?” Mannarino asked.
“Who welcomes a subpoena?” Adams fired back. “You don’t wake up every day and say, ‘I hope I get a subpoena.’ No, what my job must be is to cooperate as I’ve always done.
“I think it’s ridiculous for somebody to say, ‘If there’s an indictment.’ People are throwing these words out there,” he continued. “Let the process carry out. That’s what… that is what’s great about our country. There is a due process system in place.”
Mannarino also asked Adams if he felt the federal investigation into his campaign — as well as his handling of the growing migrant crisis — had created a “trust problem” for New Yorkers.
“I think that New Yorkers are reading all of the headlines, they’re reading all of the information,” replied Adams, who has not been accused of wrongdoing in the probe.
“You know, you’re limited on what you can say. So I’m not able to be that normal Eric Adams because you don’t want to in any way infringe on the process of the investigation,” he added. “So, it’s one thing if some heckler’s in the crowd calling you names; and you know, me I like going to toe to toe.
“But you know, I don’t want to infringe on the process, and I don’t want anyone to believe, okay, he’s trying to, you know, get in the way of the review. Let the review take its course. I have so much more to do in this city that I’m focused on doing.”