FBI searches homes of fire chiefs in corruption probe

FBI agents early Thursday searched the homes of two top New York Fire Department heads responsible for overseeing safety inspections, while city investigators also searched the heads' offices at the agency's headquarters in Brooklyn, people with knowledge said on the House.

The corruption probe by the bureau, federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the city's Department of Investigation began late in the summer and initially focused on whether the chiefs were paid nearly $100,000 each in a scheme to expedite or arrange inspections. said.

There was no immediate indication that the searches were part of a broad federal corruption investigation targeting Mayor Eric Adams and fundraising for his 2021 campaign, although spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Investigation was not immediately available for comment.

Neither of the leaders, Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino, have been accused of wrongdoing.

The fire department said in a statement that Commissioner Laura Kavanagh “proactively” placed both chiefs on modified duty.

“The FDNY's first priority is always the safety of New Yorkers, and we expect every member of the department to act appropriately,” the statement said. “As soon as Commissioner Kavanagh was made aware of these allegations last year, she immediately referred them to DOI to investigate.”

A man standing at the door of Mr. Cordasco's Staten Island home declined to comment Thursday morning, telling a reporter to call his lawyer, though he did not say who represented him. Mr. Saccavino could not immediately be reached for comment. It could not immediately be determined whether either man had an attorney.

Starting earlier this year, the investigation looked, at least in part, into whether a retired firefighter made the payments as part of an effort to speed up or influence fire inspections of construction projects, some people said.