New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is facing yet another investigation, this time with direct ties to commercial real estate.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office launched a corruption probe possible bribery and money laundering across the city’s commercial property leases, the New York Times reported. The investigation has ensnared Cushman & Wakefield broker Diana Boutross.
The investigation is the same one that made headlines after investigators to confiscate the cell phone of Jesse Hamilton, deputy commissioner of real estate at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, upon arrival at John F. Kennedy Airport while returning from vacation.
Boutross and Hamilton were among the five people whose phones were seized by state officials. Investigators searched the home of the mayor’s chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, while separate investigators served her a grand jury subpoena for another case.
Boutross and Lewis-Martin are reportedly friends — they were confronted upon arrival from a vacation in Japan — but the Cushman broker also appears to manage an account connected to DCAS’ office leases.
Boutross has spent most of her career in retail leasing, but recently crossed into more office and mixed-use deals. A year ago, Cushman tapped her to manage an account with the city’s real estate department, helping the city find office and industrial leases with the possibility of big commissions.
“We hold all employees to the highest ethical standards and have been abundantly clear that they must follow the law,” a spokesperson for City Hall said after the probe was revealed.
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Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Jr. is spearheading the state corruption investigation, which appears to be in its early stages. It’s unclear if the investigation could implicate landlords who lease to the city.
Adams’ administration is facing at least five public investigations, a majority of which are being conducted by federal officials. Prosecutors indicted Adams on charges of bribery, conspiracy, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations; he has pleaded not guilty.