A former aide to New York Mayor Eric Adams is charged with destroying evidence as top deputy quits

A former New York City official was charged Tuesday with witness tampering and destroying evidence in a federal investigation that led to Mayor Eric Adams’ bribery indictment. The arrest came amid yet more high-profile departures from Adams' administration as federal prosecutors delve deeper into allegations that the mayor was involved in a coverup.

A former New York City official was charged Tuesday with witness tampering and destroying evidence in a federal investigation that led to Mayor Eric Adams’ bribery indictment. The arrest came amid yet more high-profile departures from Adams' administration as federal prosecutors delve deeper into allegations that the mayor was involved in a coverup.

Mohamed Bahi, who resigned Monday as a liaison to the Muslim community, is accused of encouraging a businessman and campaign donors to lie to the FBI in June and of deleting an encrypted messaging app from his cell phone just as FBI agents arrived to search his home in July. At one point, federal prosecutors said, Bahi told the businessman that Adams believed he wouldn’t cooperate with law enforcement.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Adams denied that he had any hand in telling anyone to lie. “I would never instruct anyone to do anything illegal or improper," he said.

Bahi, 40, of Staten Island, was arrested Tuesday and is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan. Information on a lawyer who could speak on his behalf was not listed in an online court docket.

Bahi is the first person other than Adams to be charged in the investigation. Adams praised him as a “thoughtful” liaison who worked to “really bring down the noise in some of the conflicts we're seeing today."

In recent weeks, more than half-dozen of the mayor’s top aides have departed amid a rash of searches and subpoenas, as Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to pressure Adams to shake up his administration and bring stability to city government.

In the latest high-level departure, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright submitted her resignation Monday. Adams on Tuesday appointed another deputy, Maria Torres-Springer, as Wright’s replacement. She had been the deputy mayor for economic development, housing, and workforce development.