Former City Hall aide Mohamed Bahi plans to plead guilty to funneling illegal donations to Mayor Adams’ 2021 campaign, according to a new court filing.
The Friday filing says Bahi, who resigned as Adams’ Muslim community liaison the day before he was criminally indicted in October, intends to plead guilty to a single charge of conspiracy related to his alleged role in soliciting illicit straw donations to Adams’ campaign bankrolled by a Brooklyn construction company owner with city government business interests.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office just Thursday submitted a notice of intent in court saying they planned to hit Bahi with the conspiracy charge.
The conspiracy count is separate from Bahi’s October indictment, which charged him with witness tampering and destruction of records in connection with his alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation into Adams’ Turkish government connection ties.
It was not immediately clear what will happen with Bahi’s obstruction charges in light of his planned conspiracy plea. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately comment, and Bahi’s lawyer did not immediately return calls.
It is not unusual for defendants in federal criminal cases to plead to a lesser charge and receive leniency at sentencing in exchange for a commitment to cooperate with investigators.
Adams is under indictment on charges alleging he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for political favors. He has pleaded not guilty and is expected to stand trial in April.
Federal prosecutors say their investigation into Adams is continuing and recently wrote in court papers they have uncovered “additional criminal conduct” he allegedly engaged in.
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