A former associate of New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded guilty on Monday to orchestrating a straw donor scheme that allegedly funneled tens of thousands of dollars into Adams’ 2021 campaign. Dwayne Montgomery, whose tenure in the NYPD coincided with Adams’, entered a guilty plea for one conspiracy charge, as disclosed in an agreement released by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The original indictment, unveiled in July, outlined an audacious plot to funnel illegal contributions to Adams’ campaign, with the expectation of receiving kickbacks. Notably, neither the mayor nor anyone from his team has been implicated in any wrongdoing.
“We allege a deliberate scheme to game the system in a blatant attempt to gain power,” stated Bragg when the charges were initially announced.
Under the conditions of the plea deal, pending approval by a Manhattan Criminal Court judge, Montgomery would be discharged upon completing 200 hours of community service and paying a $500 fine. Additionally, he would face a one-year prohibition on hosting political fundraisers, soliciting donations on behalf of any campaign, and acting as an intermediary between donors and campaigns.
During an unrelated press conference on Monday, Adams responded to the situation, stating, “I think the DA clearly reported that there was nothing our campaign did that was a part of what was done wrong. I say let the DA handle the situation.”
Adams proceeded to discuss his campaign’s vetting process, emphasizing the expenditure of thousands of dollars on a compliance attorney to ensure meticulous scrutiny of signatures and information. He highlighted the campaign’s rejection of tens of thousands of donations that did not meet these standards.
BREAKING: Dwayne Montgomery, an ex-NYPD colleague + longtime acquaintance of @NYCMayor, just pleaded guilty to conspiring to send Eric Adams straw donations—a tactic that scored Adams public campaign $
His deal requires he refrain from soliciting political donations for a year. pic.twitter.com/AN6s4FOdpp
— George Joseph (@georgejoseph94) February 5, 2024
As part of his plea deal, Montgomery confessed to conspiring with several individuals to funnel excess contributions to Adams’ 2021 campaign through straw donors. Straw donors, in general terms, are individuals reimbursed by someone seeking to surpass campaign donation limits and gain favor with a political candidate.
Montgomery informed Bragg’s office that on August 14, 2020, he transferred $260 to a straw donor, who subsequently contributed the same amount to Adams’ campaign. In New York City’s public matching system, donations up to $250 from residents are matched 8-1 with tax dollars, potentially multiplying any illicit contribution to the mayor’s campaign many times over.
The Campaign Finance Board, overseeing the public matching program, declined to comment on the plea agreement.
Montgomery, a retired deputy inspector who collaborated with Adams during their time in the NYPD, also seems to have connections with other influential figures in City Hall. Additionally, Mayor Adams faces a separate federal investigation into whether his 2021 campaign colluded with the government of Turkey. This inquiry involved a raid on his former chief fundraiser’s residence and a noteworthy incident where FBI agents stopped Adams on the street, seizing several electronic devices.
