The mayor’s 25-year-old fundraising chief in the spotlight after an FBI raid

The choice was unconventional: Eric Adams, the candidate who would win the 2021 elections for mayor of the country’s financial capital, had chosen an inexperienced 23-year-old to lead his campaign’s fundraising.

Apparently the fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, has done her job. Thanks in part to her work, the campaign would spend more than $18 million and win the election.

But the unusual arrangement, which raised eyebrows in the tight-knit, professional world of Democratic political fundraising, could have come at an extraordinary cost.

On Thursday morning, federal agents raided Ms. Suggs’ Brooklyn home and walked away with a wide range of materials, including three iPhones, two laptops and a manila folder labeled “Eric Adams.” The court-authorized search was part of a sweeping public corruption investigation into whether the campaign conspired with the government of Turkey to receive illegal foreign donations.

Neither Ms. Suggs nor Mr. Adams have been accused of any wrongdoing. Mr. Adams has denied any knowledge of improper fundraising and said in a statement that his campaign “would work with officials to respond appropriately to questions — as we have always done.”

Ms Suggs, now 25, has not spoken publicly since the pre-dawn raid and could not be reached for comment.

Interviews with nearly two dozen people who know and have dealt with Ms. Suggs, most of whom requested anonymity to avoid alienating the mayor, portray an inexperienced young woman whose connections gave her access to the new mayor and his wealthy donors, a heady combination .

Mr. Adams has a habit of elevating loyalists to important positions, but Ms. Suggs appears to be the youngest member of that insular clique. And due to her privileged position within the Adams circle, she is now embroiled in an extensive criminal investigation with an uncertain outcome.

“Often, young African American ladies are not given the opportunities that others are given in this political issue,” Mr. Adams said. PIX11 last weekin his first sit-down interview since the raid, describing Ms. Suggs as a “very bright, energetic, smart young lady who worked hard.”

Ms. Suggs began working as a $20-an-hour employee for Mr. Adams when he was Brooklyn borough president in 2018, according to city payroll records. compiled by the Empire Center, a watchdog group. In fiscal year 2019, she was employed and earning a salary of $52,500 per year. The following year she graduated from Brooklyn College with a bachelor’s degree in business management. By the time Mr. Adams became mayor, she was making nearly $80,000 in the city president’s office.

A person who worked with Ms. Suggs at Brooklyn Borough Hall said it was clear upon arrival that she had a “bond” with both Mr. Adams and Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who is now the mayor’s top aide. Ms. Lewis-Martin often referred to Ms. Suggs as her “goddaughter,” according to several people who saw the two women together.

More recently, when Ms. Lewis-Martin asked another fundraiser to hire Ms. Suggs, she described her as “part of the family,” the fundraiser said.

“I have known Brianna personally and professionally, and she has always been kind and hardworking,” Ms. Lewis-Martin said Sunday. “I am confident that she has always conducted herself in accordance with all rules and regulations. She still has my full support.”

At Borough Hall, Ms. Suggs had the “youthful brashness” of someone close to the two most powerful people in the office, said a person who dealt with Ms. Suggs.

She also wanted to work on Mr. Adams’ mayoral campaign, the person recalled. And so she did.

Mr. Adams’ first mayoral campaign paid her more than $50,000 to manage fundraising. Over the past two years, his re-election campaign has paid Ms. Suggs nearly $100,000 for fundraising and campaign consulting through her company, Suggs Solutions, according to city records.

Ms. Suggs was also able to use her connections to raise money for a political action committee aimed at advancing Mr. Adams’ statewide agenda. She earned another $100,000 in that position.

She even worked as a fundraiser for the Brooklyn Democratic Party, one of the largest Democratic organizations in the country.

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, tThe congresswoman who leads the Brooklyn Democratic Party and is a close ally of Adams, said Ms Suggs was mainly responsible for the fundraising logistics and described her as a volunteer. Ms. Suggs called the venue and confirmed the food and beverage menu, sound system, decorations and seating arrangements for fundraising events.

“The person raising money for the party is me,” said Ms. Bichotte Hermelyn, adding that the party has not been contacted by federal authorities.

Unlike many professional fundraisers, Ms. Suggs did not initially have her own Rolodex of donors. But given her client’s fame, she didn’t necessarily need one. When someone called and said they wanted to donate money, they were referred to Ms. Suggs, according to six people who had raised money for Mr. Adams.

Two said it was clear she had a shaky grip on the court. Details for events were difficult to come by. Dates changed often.

After Mr. Adams won the competitive Democratic Primary for mayor in the summer of 2021, the coffers of the city’s political class opened further. Everyone from fellow politicians to real estate developers to lawyers was eager to give money to New York City’s likely 110th mayor. The mayor and Mrs. Suggs made the best of it.

The minimum amount for Mr. Adams to appear at a fundraiser was $25,000, according to two fundraisers who communicated directly with Ms. Suggs about an event. Time is precious for a new mayor.

At a 2021 fundraiser, there was someone who helped connect the campaign with donors said Ms. Suggs arrived with the mayor, escorted him around the room as he spoke to guests and collected checks. Mrs. Suggs stood next to the mayor and had a drink and some hors d’oeuvres.

To at least a few people in the donor class, Ms. Suggs made a good impression, even as others questioned her youth and inexperience.

‘She’s smart, she’s fast. She is responsive and easy to work with,” said Kathryn Wylde, CEO of Partnership for New York City, an organization representing major New York business leaders. Ms. Suggs, she said, is “a nice person.”

Al Taylor, a representative from Harlem, said he “couldn’t say enough good things about” Ms. Suggs, who helped him raise money.

“Every time I called her she would answer the phone,” Mr Taylor said, adding that he was surprised when he discovered how young she was because she handled herself with a high level of professionalism.

He said he would be “shocked” if Ms Suggs was involved in misconduct “She doesn’t have those kinds of qualities.”

In September, Arthur Aidala, a lawyer and radio host, hosted a fundraiser for Mr. Adams at his downtown office. Ms. Suggs was there to greet donors while Mr. Adams worked in the room.

“She insisted that all necessary paperwork required to accompany any contributions be completed accurately,” he said.

But another fundraiser who organized an event for Mr. Adams found it strange that Ms. Suggs had been given the keys to a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign and raised the issue with the mayor. The mayor seemed unconcerned, even enthusiastic, claiming that all you need for a fundraiser is an organized young person with a spreadsheet, the fundraiser added.

To others who worked with her, she could appear territorial and deeply aware of her privileged status with the mayor.

She seemed heartened by the way Mr. Adams treated her — more like a friend than a colleague, they said. At least once, Mr. Adams used his motorcade to pick up Ms. Suggs on his way to a fundraiser.

One member of the political class said Ms Suggs’ power profile and the influence she wielded were palpable. When she arrived at an event or dinner, some people would almost instinctively stand up and offer her their seats.

Last year, Ms. Suggs seemed to have settled into her role as a fundraiser for the mayor. She was exploring the possibility of raising money for statewide campaigns, according to a Democratic political consultant who spoke with her about her ambitions.

By June 2023, she was no longer just picking locations and cashing checks for clients, said a donor who called Ms. Suggs that month.

She now directly asked donors to attend and solicit donations for a fundraising campaign Mr Adams was organizing at the Broadway show ‘New York, New York’. The most expensive tickets for the event sold for $2,100 each.

Susan C. Beachy contributed research.