Former Aide To Eric Adams Charged With Witness Tampering, Destroying Evidence

Federal prosecutors allege that Mohamed Bahi told a businessman and campaign donors to lie to the FBI in June.

NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York City official was charged Tuesday with witness tampering and destroying evidence in a federal investigation that led to Mayor Eric Adams’ bribery indictment. The arrest came amid yet more high-profile exits from Adams’ administration.

Federal prosecutors allege that Mohamed Bahi, who resigned Monday as a community affairs liaison, told a businessman and campaign donors to lie to the FBI in June, and deleted the encrypted messaging app Signal from his cell phone as FBI agents arrived to search his home in July. Bahi had used the app to communicate with Adams, prosecutors said.

Bahi, 40, of Staten Island, is the first person other than Adams to be charged in the investigation. More than a half-dozen of the mayor’s top aides have quit amid a rash of searches and subpoenas, and as Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to pressure Adams to shake up his administration and bring stability to city government.

Bahi was arrested Tuesday and is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan. Information on a lawyer who could speak on his behalf was not listed in an online court docket.

In the latest high-level departure, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright submitted her resignation Monday, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel changes.