Eric Adams staffer who ‘acted improperly’ ID’d, put on leave amid FBI probe: sources
The Adams administration staffer who was found to have allegedly “acted improperly” amid the federal corruption probe into his campaign fundraising worked in the city’s Office for International Affairs before abruptly being placed on leave, sources told The Post Wednesday.
Rana Abbasova, who is listed as the department’s director of protocol, has been identified as the “individual” whose improper behavior was recently reported to the feds, multiple sources familiar with the investigation said.
Sources told The Post Wednesday that Abbasova lied to federal investigators.
When approached by The Post, City Hall didn’t deny Abbasova, who is originally from Azerbaijan, was the staffer whose name was turned over to the FBI.
They did, however, confirm that city worker in question had been placed on leave amid the federal investigation.
“As we have repeatedly said, we recently learned of an individual who acted improperly, which we promptly reported to investigators. This individual was a junior staffer who was immediately placed on leave, and still remains on leave today,” a City Hall spokesperson said.
“While we continue to cooperate with investigators, the most important thing to remember is that the mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what Abbosova’s alleged improper behavior entailed.
Abbasova, whose salary is listed as $80,651, performed advanced planning and logistics for mayoral events as part of her role, sources said.
She did not return multiple requests for comment from The Post.
A source familiar with workings in City Hall said Abbasova earlier this year took on a new role — transferring from the international affairs team to mayor’s unit of events planning, which she served as a “body person” who traveled with the mayor.
“Rana was a quiet, unassuming person,” an insider said.
According to her City Hall bio, she previously served as a community coordinator and advisor to Adams back when he was Brooklyn borough president.
“She was responsible for international relations and maintaining relationships between the Borough President and stakeholders, including the Middle East and Central Asian countries, Muslim and Russian-speaking communities, and Non-profit organizations,” the bio said.
“She also worked with Embassies and Consulates to build relationships between countries and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President to help overcome language barriers and cultural differences. She also organized Turkic Heritage events and assisted with Sister Cities agreements.
Abbasova was also an administrative assistant for Adams’ One Brooklyn Fund, Inc. when he was still borough prez, her bio states.
In her Brooklyn borough role, Abbasova once requested an April 2017 meeting between Adams and the Turken Foundation, which is backed by the Turkish president’s son, The City reported, citing office records.
An attorney for the Adams campaign first disclosed last week that a review had been carried out immediately after learning the FBI was probing whether it conspired with the Turkish government to allegedly accept illegal foreign donations.
“After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators,” the attorney, Boyd Johnson, said at the time.
The latest on the FBI probe into Mayor Eric Adams' campaign
On Nov. 2 the FBI raided the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ chief fundraiser, as part of an investigation into a potential kickback scheme involving Hizzoner’s 2021 campaign.
Adams downplayed the seriousness of the raid the next day, telling PIX11 that “where’s there’s smoke, there’s not always fire.”
Investigators were reportedly seeking evidence into whether money was funneled into Adams’ mayoral campaign by Brooklyn-based construction company KSK Construction Group as well as from officials in the Turkish government.
The probe has looked into whether Adams used his influence as then-Brooklyn borough president to get the Turkish consulate built despite fire hazard concerns. According to campaign records reviewed by The Post, Adams’ campaign accepted a $6,000 donation from three donors who served on the board of a foundation backed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son Bilal.
Adams would later have two of his cellphones and an iPad seized by the feds in the investigation.
Adams’ campaign attorney Boyd Johnson said in a statement that Hizzoner is cooperating with federal investigators and a review found that an “individual had recently acted improperly.” That individual was identified as Adams administration staffer Rana Abbasova, who was later placed on leave.
As part of the investigation, the feds last week seized Adams’ electronics, which included at least two cellphones and an iPad.
One of the probe’s focuses is whether Adams’ campaign conspired with the Brooklyn-based KSK Construction Group and the Turkish government to use “straw donors” to illegally funnel foreign cash into his campaign coffers in exchange for favors, law enforcement sources have said previously.
A straw donor is a person or company which illegally makes a donation with someone else’s money but using their own name to hide its source.
Adams, nor any member of his campaign, have been accused of any wrongdoing.
