Fired Adams Aide Ahsan Chughtai Was Raided by FBI Last Summer

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Ahsan Chughtai, a $140,000-a-year special assistant to Mayor Eric Adams who was fired in September , was visited by agents with the FBI and the city Department of Investigation last summer in the ongoing probe of corruption at City Hall, sources familiar with the matter told THE CITY.

Chughtai was a liaison between Mayor Adams’ office and the Muslim community, with his roots in Pakistan. He did not return THE CITY’s call seeking comment Tuesday.

It’s not clear why Chughtai received a visit from investigators, but Mohamed Bahi, another mayoral aide who served as a liaison to the Muslim community, was arrested Tuesday and charged with witness tampering and destruction of evidence in connection with the federal corruption case against Adams. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment.

Bahi appears to be referenced in the indictment of Mayor Adams regarding a scheme to facilitate illegal straw donations to the mayor’s re-election campaign. Prosecutors referenced an unnamed City Hall employee who arranged for a handful of illegal straw donations to the mayor’s 2023 campaign.

According to a federal complaint unsealed by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Bahi allegedly got the owner of a Brooklyn construction firm, United Elite Group, and four of his employees, to donate $2,000 each to Adams’ re-election campaign in December 2020.

United CEO Tolib Mansurov reimbursed the employees, an illegal tactic that masks the actual source of campaign contributions and evades required donation limits, according to prosecutors.

Mansurov is now cooperating with the FBI probe, the complaint states.

Chughtai was appointed by Mayor Adams’ to interact with the Muslim community on his behalf in March 2022.

The appointment was lauded by Pakistan’s Consul General in New York, Ayesha Ali, who wrote on Twitter , “Our vibrant Pakistani community excelling yet again.”

The FBI did not return a call seeking comment about the summertime visit to Chugtai’s home. A spokesperson for DOI declined comment.

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