NEW YORK (Dec. 26, 2024) — Federal and city investigators recently searched the Queens home of Rev. Al Cockfield II. He is a pastor and ally of Mayor Eric Adams. They also searched a hotel owned by developer Weihong Hu. Hu fundraised for Adams. The investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, examines Cockfield’s financial dealings. It also looks into lobbying efforts to benefit Hu’s development projects. Some of these projects bypassed city regulations.
Cockfield ran a political action committee supporting Adams in 2021. He reportedly received $144,000 in payments from the PAC. He directed $60,000 to his charter school. This raised campaign finance concerns. Hu, meanwhile, is accused of reimbursing donors to Adams’ campaigns. She also leveraged her connections to push city officials for favorable decisions on stalled construction projects. This included one project that demolished required affordable housing.
City officials have since apologized for permitting zoning violations and are working to restore affordable units in Hu’s developments. Hu’s attorney denies she is a target of the probe. Mayor Adams has defended Cockfield’s actions as lawful. This is despite mounting scrutiny of their roles in these controversial dealings.