Federal prosecutors charged Mohamed Bahi, a former senior New York City Hall official, with witness tampering and destruction of evidence on Tuesday, October 8th. Bahi, who worked as a senior liaison in the city’s Community Affairs Unit, is accused of interfering with a federal investigation into straw donations made to Eric Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. He reportedly resigned from his position as a senior liaison for community affairs in the Adams administration the day before the arrest. According to the complaint, Bahi instructed key witnesses to lie to federal investigators and deleted incriminating messages from his phone to obstruct the investigation.
The allegations stem from a fundraising event held in 2020, where donations were allegedly made by employees of a construction company but were funded by the company’s CEO, a scheme known as straw contributions. Bahi allegedly advised both the CEO and the employees to provide false statements to the FBI when they were subpoenaed. In addition, when federal agents searched Bahi’s home in July 2024, he deleted an encrypted messaging app used to communicate with the campaign.
Federal prosecutors have emphasized the seriousness of the charges, noting that Bahi’s actions were aimed at concealing illegal activity related to the campaign’s fundraising. Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated that attempts to interfere with federal investigations, especially by government officials, would not be tolerated. Bahi faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of both witness tampering and destruction of evidence.
Bahi’s arrest is part of a broader investigation into the 2021 mayoral campaign, with federal authorities examining the legality of contributions. FBI Assistant Director James Dennehy expressed that Bahi’s actions were designed to create obstacles for investigators, further complicating their efforts to uncover the truth behind the alleged misconduct.
The Southern District of New York’s Public Corruption Unit is leading the prosecution, with Bahi scheduled to appear before a federal judge later this month.
