Federal investigators have gone after a shadow political fund associated with one of Eric Adams’ top fundraisers and closest allies. The Rev. Alfred L. Cockfield’s political action committee was served with a subpoena in early November. Investigators from the Eastern District of New York seized financial records from Striving for a Better New York. The PAC is also under investigation by the state Board of Elections.
Brianna Suggs, who was raided by federal investigators in 2023, served as the PAC’s treasurer. She was paid $100,000 for her services. One source described her as “..a close person [to Adams] who might not be qualified for the job.” Rev. Cockfield founded the committee during Adams’ 2021 mayoral run. After Adams’ campaign fund hit the legal limit, he directed donors to this PAC.
Most of the money came from those in the real estate or construction businesses. The PAC raised suspicion when it gave out a fraction of the $1.3 million it raised to political activities. The organizers were handsomely compensated, Rev. Cockfield took a $144,000 salary in 2022. The pastor served as the chairman and founder, began to draw suspicion quickly.
BOE’s Division of Election Law Enforcement found that the PAC had shelled out $60,000 to a charter school he founded that year. The BOE forced the PAC to return nearly $100,000 to “various LLC/PLLCs that did not have the statutorily required attribution.” Many of its other donations were highly suspicious. Despite stating that its mission was to “give a voice to the issues that impact the lives of everyday New Yorkers,” the PAC donated to local races in Texas and Kansas City.
While these actions were not illegal, they added to the air of confusion surrounding Striving for a Better New York. While Suggs’ house was raided in connection to the federal probe into Adams’ 2021 campaign funding, the current subpoenas are part of a separate legal proceeding. This financial scandal comes as Adams is reeling from a historic corruption indictment out of the Southern District of New York.
Adams is accused of accepting bribes in the form of luxury travel in exchange for favors to foreign governments. He has categorically denied all wrongdoing. Suggs has not been implicated in any crimes, no longer has a role with the PAC, and still works for Adams’ re-election campaign. When the initial raid happened, Adams was meeting with President Biden to discuss the migrant crisis.
Deputy mayor for communications Fabien Levy explained that “The mayor heard of an issue related to the campaign, and takes these issues seriously, so wanted to get back to New York as quickly as possible.” Adams promised to fully participate in the investigation. “I hold my campaign to the highest ethical standards,” the mayor stated.
“Any inquiry that is done, we’re going to fully participate and make sure that it’s done correctly,” he said, adding, “I have not been contacted by anyone from any law enforcement agency, and that’s why I came back from the DC to be here, to be on the ground and look at this inquiry as it was made,” The embattled democratic mayor claimed.