Why Did Eric Adams Have So Many Cellphones?
Mayor Eric Adams of New York was under federal investigation for several charges, including bribery and wire fraud, during which it was revealed he used at least seven different phone numbers. Adams explained the multiple phones were necessary for separating office, personal, and campaign communications, and additional devices were acquired after federal authorities seized his electronics in 2023. The investigation led the FBI to obtain warrants to track his location and use a cell site simulator to identify new phone numbers he might be using. Despite the extensive investigation, all charges were eventually dismissed after the Trump administration requested the case be dropped, resulting in the resignation of the interim U.S. attorney. Adams criticized the federal authorities' tactics, attributing his inability to access his main phone to his dyslexia and expressing frustration over their attempt to confiscate his phones during a public event like the New York City Marathon.
Context:
Mayor Eric Adams of New York was under federal investigation for several charges, including bribery and wire fraud, during which it was revealed he used at least seven different phone numbers. Adams explained the multiple phones were necessary for separating office, personal, and campaign communications, and additional devices were acquired after federal authorities seized his electronics in 2023. The investigation led the FBI to obtain warrants to track his location and use a cell site simulator to identify new phone numbers he might be using. Despite the extensive investigation, all charges were eventually dismissed after the Trump administration requested the case be dropped, resulting in the resignation of the interim U.S. attorney. Adams criticized the federal authorities' tactics, attributing his inability to access his main phone to his dyslexia and expressing frustration over their attempt to confiscate his phones during a public event like the New York City Marathon.
Dive Deeper:
Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York, was under investigation and used seven different phone numbers, which he justified as necessary to separate his office, personal, and campaign communications.
Federal authorities stopped Adams in November 2023, seizing several electronic devices, which led him to acquire additional phones to continue his work and personal communications.
The FBI tracked Adams's location using cellphone data and employed a cell site simulator to discover other devices in his vicinity, as part of their investigation into bribery, wire fraud, and illegal foreign donations.
Despite the investigation and the indictment on multiple charges, the case against Adams was dismissed after a request from the Trump administration, leading to the resignation of the interim U.S. attorney, who saw the move as a 'quid pro quo.'
Adams expressed his frustration with the federal authorities' tactics, including the timing of their actions, such as attempting to seize his devices at the finish line of the 2023 New York City Marathon, and explained that dyslexia prevented him from accessing his primary phone.