Closer look at Mayor Eric Adams' indictment, role others may have played in alleged crimes

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Mayor Eric Adam's legal team continues to try and move up his trial on corruption and bribery charges by a few weeks. It's an attempt to get the trial over with sooner so he can focus on his re-election campaign.

We've heard a lot about the federal charges against the mayor, but 7 On Your Side Investigates is delving deeper into the indictment and the role prosecutors say others played in the alleged crimes.

In the indictment, prosecutors don't use the specific names of people to describe them, they use job titles instead. There's a host of characters from "Businessman 1" to the "Adams Scheduler" to the "The Promoter," but there's one person mentioned more than anyone else: the "Adams Staffer." It's peppered through the indictment more than 130 times.

It's someone prosecutors claim Adams directed to obtain illegal contributions and who helped devise and execute a plan to funnel money into his campaign "knowing full well that these donations would violate the law," according to the indictment.

They describe the staffer as someone who started working as a volunteer at Brooklyn Borough Hall, who was then hired as the mayor's liaison to Eastern Europe, including Turkey, and who went to Turkey with the mayor in 2015.

The job descriptions, duties and dates match former staffer Rana Abbasova whose official title was Director of Protocol for the Mayor's Office of International Affairs.

She was placed on leave last fall after the feds searched her home and was fired in early October. Sources told 7 On Your Side Investigates that she's now cooperating with the federal investigation. Her attorney declined to comment on any details regarding this story.

Federal prosecutors say it's the "Adams Staffer" who, in the middle of talking to the FBI, went to the bathroom to delete their encrypted messaging app used to speak with the mayor.

In addition to being an alleged go between for foreign money, prosecutors say the "Adams Staffer" also set up the mayor's luxury travel benefits.

The indictment alleges while booking the mayor's trip to Istanbul in 2021, the "Adam Staffer" asked the "Airline Manager," "How much does he owe?"

When the "Airline Manager" responded, "I'm going to charge $50," the "Adam Staffer" responded: "His every step is being watching right now. $1,000 or so. Let it be somewhat real. We don't want them to say he is flying for free. At the moment, the media's attention is on Eric."

The mayor was then upgraded to businesses class at no cost, according to the indictment. Later, in a phone call, a Turkish official told the "Adam Staffer" that since Turkey had supported Adams, it was now "his turn" to support Turkey.

The "Adam Staffer" then reportedly sent the mayor a list of members of the Turkish community to add to the mayor's transition committee when he took office. The "Airline Manager" who helped with the trip was the top name on the list and prosecutors say Mayor Adams added him to his team.

Mayor Adams has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

Abbasova has not been charged with any crime and her attorney declined to comment or confirm details for this story.

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