4 aides of NYC Mayor Eric Adams out in dramatic day of departures

NEW YORK — At least four aides are leaving the Adams administration — a dramatic set of City Hall departures that comes on the heels of multiple other high-level resignations over the past few weeks and the mayor’s indictment on federal corruptuion charges, the New York Daily News has learned.

Among those leaving are two longtime aides ensnared in federal probes: Rana Abbasova, who was director of protocol in Adams’ International Affairs Office, was fired Monday, and Winnie Greco, who served as a liaison to China for the Adams administration, has resigned, sources told the Daily News.

Greco was called in on Friday and told to resign, sources familiar with the matter said. Greco was spotted at City Hall on Friday, at one point appearing comforted by Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief adviser to Adams. Their heads were lowered and Lewis-Martin rested a hand on Greco’s shoulder as they left the building.

Mohammed Bahi, senior Muslim liaison to the mayor, resigned from his post effective Monday, a source close to the matter said. And Ahsan Chughtai, a senior adviser for South Asian and Muslim affairs, was also fired within the past couple weeks, multiple sources said.

“Both Winnie Greco and Mohamed Bahi today tendered their resignations. We thank them for their service to the city,” Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Adams said.

Abbasova had been placed on unpaid leave after the feds raided her home last year in connection with the probe looking into whether Adams accepted and solicited bribes and illegal campaign contributions from the government of Turkey and its associates, carrying out favors in return.

Prosecutors say Abbasova, who is not named in the five-count criminal indictment, coordinated with Turkish officials to set up straw donations and travel upgrades for Adams. She is cooperating with federal authorities and is considered a key witness against Adams, the Daily News previously reported.

Adams, who was indicted in the case late last month, has pleaded not guility to the charges.

Rachel Maimin, Abbasova’s attorney, declined to comment.

Greco’s Pelham Bay homes were raided in February. On the same day, the feds also raided the New World Mall in Queens — where Greco helped host lucrative fundraisers for Adams’ 2021 campaign, collecting some illegal straw donations, as reported by the news outlet The City. The exact nature of that investigation remains unclear.

She returned to her post as Asian affairs director in May after being placed on paid leave following the FBI raids on her properties.

Greco also has ties to China, and she served as a consultant for multiple local groups funded by Beijing’s Communist government, the Daily News previously reported.

Chughtai has been an influential Adams campaign surrogate in the city’s Pakistani communities, and he also donated $1,000 to the mayor’s reelection campaign in June 2023, records show.

The news comes just hours after news broke early Monday that Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks resigned over the weekend.

He is one of five top Adams advisers who had their homes raided and electronics seized on Sept. 4 as part of several federal corruption investigations. Previously, Schools Chancellor David Banks, senior Adams adviser Tim Pearson and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, all who were raided that day, had already announced their resignations.

_____