Terence Banks, one of two brothers of top officials in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration ensnared in a federal corruption investigation, is not a registered lobbyist, but keeps a roster of clients with business interests before Adams’ administration, according to a New York Daily News review of public records.

Banks, a former MTA employee-turned-government relations consultant, had his electronics confiscated and residence searched by the feds Wednesday as part of a sweeping probe in which five of Adams’ highest-ranking advisers also had their electronics seized and homes searched this week.

The feds haven’t disclosed the focus of their investigation, but sources tell the News the probe is looking at the role of Banks and the other brother, James Caban, in their respective business fields.

Banks is the younger brother of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks and Schools Chancellor David Banks, two of Adams’ most trusted advisers and among the administration officials targeted by the feds Wednesday. Sources say the feds are looking at the possibility of unregistered lobbying by Terence Banks.

James Caban is the twin brother of Police Commissioner Edward Caban, who also had electronics taken and has come under fire over the FBI investigation. James Caban, a former NYPD officer, works as a consultant providing security for nightlife venues in the city. His professional role is under scrutiny as part of the federal probe, and investigators are specifically looking at whether he “sold” police protection to nightlife establishments, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

No one inside or outside of the administration targeted by the feds this week have been publicly accused of wrongdoing. Sources say the investigation appears separate from the probe into Adams’ 2021 campaign ties to the Turkish government.

Terence Banks, who didn’t return a request for comment for this story, launched his government relations firm, The Pearl Alliance, upon retiring from a 25-year career at the MTA as a subway supervisor in April 2023. Pearl’s website — as well as Terence Banks’ LinkedIn page — were abruptly scrubbed from the internet late Friday, but the News obtained screen grabs of both.

On its website, Pearl described itself as a firm that aims to bridge the “gap between New York’s intricate infrastructure and political landscape: the disconnect between opportunities and those capable of seizing them,” and to “support minority-owned business growth.”

Neither Terence Banks nor any employees listed as working at his firm are registered to lobby in New York, according to a review of public records. By law, individuals have to register with the state or the city if they receive income exceeding certain monetary amounts while lobbying, which is defined as advancing private business interests in communications with public officials. It is unclear what Pearl’s or Banks’ income levels are.

But Pearl’s website says it has represented a number of clients that, according to public records, receive funding from city government agencies. There’s no indication any of those clients have engaged in any wrongdoing and all have contracts with lobbying firms in addition to working with Pearl.

One of Pearl’s clients is SaferWatch, an app company whose flagship product — a public safety reporting app — was tested at five city schools last year. Among them was Queens’ Hillcrest High School, Chancellor Banks’ alma mater.

Education officials said the pilot has since ended, referring the News to the NYPD for questions about timing. City procurement records show that the NYPD has paid SaferWatch more than $67,000 for “school safety” and “technical assistance” services since August 2023. The police department did not respond to multiple inquiries.

“The SaferWatch app is our new pilot 360-degree approach to school safety that will also be used to notify parents about serious situations that happen in schools,” Inspector Kevin Taylor, then-commanding officer School Safety Division of the NYPD, testified at a City Council hearing last October.

It’s unclear what type of work Terence Banks’ firm performed for SaferWatch, whose executives didn’t return requests for comment Friday.

Another company that Pearl lists as a client on its website is Derive Technologies, a Wall St. tech firm that does frequent business with a variety of city agencies.

Some of Derive’s recent city contracts include one awarded by the Parks Department in July for printer ink worth $51,155; one issued by the Board of Elections in early April for digital election software worth $409,000, and one worth $23,242 issued in February to give extended warranty protection to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Dell laptops.

All of those Derive contracts were awarded without a competitive bidding process, as allowed under the city’s procurement rules for City-Certified Minority and Woman Owned Business.

SVAM International Inc. is another client of Terence Banks’ firm. SVAM, a Great Neck-based IT firm, has a long list of city contracts, including a $3.6 million consulting deal with the Department of Environmental Protection.

SVAM got a smaller, $349,000 contract with DEP in June under the non-competitive MWBE rules.

Pearl also lists grocery app Mercato as one of its clients. Mercato got a $19 million contract with the Department of Health in early 2023, prior to Banks launching the Pearl Alliance.

Many of the firms Pearl lists as clients also have contracts with registered lobbyists, in some cases targeting administration officials the feds raided last week or others in their close orbit. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of those lobbying companies.

Mercato, the grocery delivery app, hired lobbyists at Kasirer in 2023 to conduct “relationship building” with Sheena Wright — first deputy mayor and longtime partner of Chancellor Banks — whose home and devices were also searched last week. That same year, SaferWatch, the security app, hired former City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s firm to lobby top lieutenants of both older Banks brothers. City records show the lobbyists were charged with pitching a panic button system to Mark Rampersant, head of school security under Chancellor Banks, as well as to Justin Meyers, a top aide to Deputy Mayor Banks.

Spokespeople for Mercato, SVAM and Derive did not immediately respond to requests for comment on what type of work Pearl does for them.

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