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Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Mohamed Bahi, a former aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, with witness tampering and destruction of evidence on Tuesday. The charges allege that Bahi instructed multiple individuals to lie to the FBI as part of an investigation into Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. Bahi, who had served as a community affairs liaison, resigned from his position on Monday, just before the complaint was unsealed.

NYC Mayor Aide Witness Tampering : Alleged Straw Donor Scheme

The case stems from a fundraiser Bahi organized in late 2020, during which four employees of a construction company made straw donations to Adams' campaign. The donations were reportedly funded by the company's CEO, an arrangement illegal under federal campaign finance laws. After investigators searched the CEO's home in June and issued subpoenas to the CEO and donors, Bahi allegedly took steps to obstruct the federal investigation.

According to prosecutors, Bahi urged the CEO and the four donors to maintain false accounts when speaking to investigators. After the CEO initially lied to the FBI about the donations, Bahi allegedly reassured him that continuing to lie would be safe. The complaint also accuses Bahi of later instructing all involved parties to deny the straw donor scheme entirely.

Destruction of Evidence

In addition to the witness tampering charges, Bahi is accused of deleting an encrypted messaging app used to communicate with Adams just before federal agents seized his phone in July. Prosecutors said this deletion constituted destruction of evidence. Bahi claimed the app was removed due to a personal habit of clearing "suspicious" applications before traveling internationally. However, investigators disputed this claim, noting Bahi’s prior international travel without such deletions.

Federal Investigation into Mayor Adams

Bahi’s charges are part of a broader investigation into Mayor Adams, who was charged with bribery and illegal campaign contributions less than two weeks ago. Adams, who has denied any wrongdoing, said at a press conference that he would "never instruct anyone to do anything illegal or improper."

The charges against Bahi emphasize alleged interference with federal investigators, which prosecutors say played a critical role in obstructing the case. "The charges unsealed today should leave no doubt about the seriousness of any effort to interfere with a federal investigation," said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

NYC Mayor Aide Witness Tampering : Court Proceedings

Bahi is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger on Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors Hagan Scotten, Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom are representing the government in the case. Information regarding Bahi’s defense counsel was not immediately available.