Two controversial City Hall staffers — including Winnie Greco, a longtime confidante to Mayor Eric Adams — were pushed out of their jobs Monday, The Post has learned.
Greco — who officials believe will potentially be indicted by the feds — resigned, while staffer Rana Abbasova, a key figure in the criminal case against Adams, was fired, sources said.
Two other staffers — Mohammad Bahi, the mayor’s liaison to the Muslim community, and Ahsan Chutgai, his senior Muslim adviser — resigned in recent days, according to sources.
All four couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Attorneys for Abbasova and Greco did not return calls.
The resignation of Greco is the latest major Adams administration shakeup since the mayor was indicted on federal bribery and corruption charges — and Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a directive that he clean house if he wants to keep his job before a sure-to-be blockbuster trial, according to sources.
Greco served as the mayor’s director of Asian affairs, and has long been under scrutiny for ties to Chinese nationals.
Insiders said Greco’s departure became inevitable as those in the administration braced for her to be indicted by feds with Eastern District of New York over her dealings with foreign countries while she served in city government and on Adams’ election campaigns.
Murmurs of Greco’s likely ouster grew deafening Friday after insiders said Adams would drum out First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.
Greco was spotted speaking to Adams’ chief adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin at City Hall. When approached by The Post, Greco briskly walked away, repeating “no comment” when asked about her potential resignation, the long-rumored indictment against her and the federal raid on her home at the beginning of this year.
Federal agents also raided Abbasova’s home, back in November – on the same day they hit the residences of Brianna Suggs and Cenk Ocal, the Turkish line exec who lined up trips for Adams through Abbasova.
Abbasova has been identified as a key witness in the feds’ case against Adams, which details $123,000 worth of travel perks he allegedly received from Turkish officials and nationals.
She had worked as Adams’ liaison to Turkey during his days as Brooklyn’s borough president – a role that brought her under the feds’ eyes as they investigated the mayor.
The 57-page indictment against Adams features Abbasova several times, accusing her of coordinating “many of the illegal campaign contributions and improper personal travel benefits” that Adams allegedly reaped from Turkey.
The indictment claims she also went to the bathroom while meeting with FBI agents and deleted texts.
Abbasova had served as the mayor’s director of protocol in the Office for International Affairs until she was placed on leave from the administration for asking staffers to delete messages.
Like Abbasova, Adams and Greco have a long history that goes back to his days as Brooklyn’s borough president, when she served as volunteer fundraiser and Chinese community liaison.
Adams’ indictment — beyond being the first federal charges against a sitting Big Apple mayor — came after amid spiraling federal investigations into the City Hall’s top officials, including Greco and Abbasova.
The feds raided Greco’s Bronx home in February, after she faced a probe by the city’s Department of Investigation over allegations she improperly used her City Hall position to get perks.
She allegedly promised a campaign volunteer a job in Adams’ administration if they helped renovate her kitchen in early 2022.
Greco, who makes $100,000 a year, took a leave of absence from City Hall but came back months later.
Her return apparently sparked strife with at least one top City Hall official: now-former Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg.
Sources said she pushed Adams to oust Greco, arguing she couldn’t ethically represent her after she lied on financial disclosure forms.
Adams didn’t heed Zornberg’s advice, and the top lawyer abruptly resigned.
Greco also featured in the indictment against Adams. She traveled with Adams on two continent-spanning trips during 2017, according to the indictment.
During the first in July and August 2017, Greco joined Adams and the then-borough president’s son on an enviable excursion jet-setting from Nice, France; Istanbul, Turkey; Columbo, Sri Lanka; and Beijing, China, according to the court papers.
“Adams accepted free business class tickets from the Turkish Airline, worth more than $35,000 total, for himself and his companions,” the indictment reads.
While in Istanbul, the trio received a heavily discounted stay at the St. Regis Istanbul, where the future mayor shacked up in the luxurious “Bentley Suite,” the indictment details.
Greco also flew with Adams to Nepal through Istanbul and Beijing during October 2017, documents state. The free business class tickets for the pair’s travel were worth more than $16,000 total, according to the indictment.
Her departure came on the heels of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, another Adams staffer under federal fire, stepping down Monday.
