Ahsan Chughtai, a former Muslim community liaison to Mayor Adams who was fired last week, had his Staten Island home raided by federal and city authorities this summer, sources told the Daily News late Tuesday.
The sources said FBI and city Department of Investigation agents visited Chughtai’s home in Great Kills on July 24 — the same day feds also searched the residence of Mohamed Bahi, a second ex-Muslim community liaison to Adams.
Bahi resigned Monday from his City Hall post. On Tuesday, Bahi was hit with criminal charges alleging he destroyed evidence and tampered with witnesses in the federal corruption investigation that resulted in Adams’ indictment last month on charges that he solicited bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish government operatives and others in exchange for political favors.
It’s unclear if the Chughtai raid — first reported by the news outlet The City — was connected to the probe that resulted in charges against Bahi and Adams.
Chughtai, whose Sept. 30 firing was first reported Monday by The News, didn’t return a request for comment Tuesday, nor did Adams’ office, which has declined to divulge a reason for Chughtai’s termination. The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, which is prosecuting Adams and Bahi, declined to comment, as did the FBI and the city’s Department of Investigation.
The charges against Bahi allege he directed Toleb Mansurov, a construction company owner and Uzbek community leader, to lie to federal authorities about funneling illegal straw donations to Adams’ 2021 campaign via four employees.
Adams’ indictment contains references to Mansurov, alleging the mayor knowingly “solicited and received” illegal donations from him.
The mayor’s indictment also alleges two “Adams employees” — one of whom has been identified as Bahi — helped Mansurov set up the illegal donations. The second employee who helped Mansurov hasn’t been identified, but both that person and Bahi are referred to in Adams’ indictment as “liaisons” to Mansurov’s community who worked as “volunteers” for Adams’ 2021 campaign before joining City Hall.
A source directly familiar with the matter told The News that Bahi and Chughtai served as Muslim community surrogates for Adams’ 2021 campaign.
With Molly Crane-Newman