A pair of prominent fundraisers for embattled Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams are under federal investigation, Newsmax reported. The U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating Winnie Greco and Lian Wu Shao over a possible Chinese election interference.
Greco was Adams' top Democratic fundraiser and the Asian affairs director under Adams until resigning in October amid FBI allegations about her connections to the Chinese Communist Party government. Her home and office were raided last month.
Shao, the wealthy owner of the New World Mall in Queens, where Greco leases an office, also had his Long Island home raided the same day. It doesn't seem Adams is implicated in any improper connections to the CCP.
However, these two fundraisers are linked to one another and the Chinese government. This news came not long after federal charges against Adams had been dropped.
The New York Times reported that Greco had been an associate of Adams since at least 2014. He was Brooklyn borough president at the time and named her "honorary ambassador to Brooklyn’s Chinese community."
She visited China with Adams for at least two of the six times he trekked to the communist nation where he met with government officials and prominent businessmen. In 2018, Greco held an event that raised $64,000, which was then matched for another $100,000 by a city program.
That fundraiser was held in a restaurant at Shao's New World Mall, where she would raise another $1.6 million in the 2021 campaign for mayor over nine events. He rewarded her in 2022 by putting her in his administration, where Greco arranged several events with Adams and Chinese officials.
Shao also played his part in fundraising for Adams, first securing a $200,000 matching donation from the city by getting 100 of his low-wage employees to give $249 each to Adams' campaign. In 2021, he secured $364,000 in matching funds from 231 donors for $55,000.
The only problem is that at least four people listed as attendees claim they weren't at the event held at Shao's home. "I definitely did not attend. I’ve never attended a campaign contribution event in my life," said attorney Kenneth Horowitz, whose name was listed in campaign filings.
These ties to people with connections to the Chinese government aren't a great look for Adams. He's not been implicated in this particular investigation but has legal woes of his own, especially with fundraisers.
According to the Associated Press, Adams' 2024 indictment involved questionable campaign contributions from a foreign official. Adams allegedly accepted $100,000 in luxury travel and other contributions off the books.
This was reportedly arranged in exchange for special favors from the city. People in Adams' orbit have also been investigated, though President Donald Trump believes Adams may be targeted for lawfare for the mayor's outspoken opposition to the flood of illegal immigration in his city.
"I know what it’s like to be persecuted by the DOJ, for speaking out against open borders. We were persecuted, Eric. I was persecuted, and so are you, Eric," Trump said in October. The president's Department of Justice has subsequently called off the federal case against Adams.
There are many people associated with Adams who have legal baggage, including his fundraisers. This raises questions about the mayor and his potentially crooked fundraising, but it's up to investigators to connect the dots if there's anything to it.
