Six New York City contractors were charged in Manhattan Friday with funneling straw donations to Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign for mayor, prosecutors said.
The Manhattan district attorney unsealed indictments accusing Dwayne Montgomery, Shamsuddin Riza, Millicent Redick, Ronald Peek, Yahya Mushtaq, Shahid Mushtaq, and a Queens-based site safety management company they own, Ecosafety Consultants Inc., of structuring illegal campaign contributions to bloat donations to Adams’ campaign through the New York City Matching Funds Program.
The contractors are accused of conspiracy, attempted grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing and related charges.
City residents who donated $250 to Adams’ campaign saw their donations matched by eight to one in public funds, per the city program. No more than $2,000 was permitted in contributions from individuals, and businesses competing for city contracts could donate no more than $400.
“We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to gain power. The indictment charges the defendants with subverting campaign finance laws by improperly structuring campaign contributions,” DA Alvin Bragg said.
“The New York City Campaign Finance Board program is meant to support our democracy and amplify the voices of New York City voters. When the integrity of that program is corrupted, all New Yorkers suffer.”
A spokesman for the mayor’s 2021 campaign said Adams played no part in the scheme.
“There is no indication that the campaign or the mayor is involved in this case or under investigation,” Evan Thies said. The campaign always held itself to the highest standards and we would never tolerate these actions. The campaign will of course work with the DA’s office, the Campaign Finance Board, and any relevant authorities.”
Riza and Peek are accused of advising Yahya Mushtaq on how to game the city’s matching public funds program.
“You could use a straw man,” Riza is quoted telling Mushtaq during an undated phone call. “Whoever’s on the LLC or the incorporation, those are the people that do business with the city. Anybody else is an employee, the employees don’t fall under that criteria.”
The Mushtaqs then followed through with purchasing money orders to donate money in their employees’ names without them knowing, according to the charges.
“By using U.S. Postal Money Orders in a scheme to commit violations of campaign finance law, these individuals compromised the public’s trust in a fair election process,” Daniel Brubaker, New York Division Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.
“Postal Inspectors will not tolerate individuals using postal products in the furtherance of their crimes.”
Montgomery, who held a Zoom fundraiser for Adams in August 2020, is accused of recruiting straw donors to make contributions in their names that he would later reimburse them for, with each falsely certifying that they were the source of the funds.
Montgomery kept track of who was enlisted through various fundraisers in the straw donation scam with a spreadsheet, according to the charges, planning to use them as leverage with Adams’ office in possible future contracts requests.
In the leadup to a fundraiser in Sunnyside, Queens in August 2021 organized by Riza and Montgomery, Riza contributed more than the $2,000 he was legally allowed to and sought to get his family and friends to falsify campaign contribution cards, according to the indictment.
Montgomery, 64, and Riza, 70, were awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, along with Redick, 77, Peek, 65, Yahya Mushtaq, 28, and Shahid Mushtaq, 29. Their lawyers could not be reached for comment.
Adams’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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