
Winnie Greco, a former advisor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, has reportedly become elusive after being involved in a federal investigation regarding her connections with Chinese government operatives. According to the New York Post, Greco, who has ties to Adams, has not been seen in New York City, leading to speculation that she may be cooperating with federal authorities.
Her disappearance follows FBI raids on her Bronx properties and the Queens’ New World Mall, a location the feds searched as part of their investigation. In the years before the raids, Greco, as the city's Asian affairs advisor, regularly met with Chinese officials and groups linked to China's Communist Party, according to her schedule entries, as reported by the Daily News. These meetings included frequent appointments at the New World Mall, where she hosted campaign fundraisers for Adams' 2021 campaign, raising concerns over possible illegal straw donations.
As Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace leads the probe into Greco's activities, similar high-profile cases concerning alleged Chinese government influence operations have surfaced. These include the indictment of Linda Sun, a former aide to Governor Hochul, for allegedly acting as a Chinese agent, as well as a guilty plea from Chen Jinping for espionage charges regarding a covert Chinese police station. Despite these developments and her regular consultations with Huang Ping, China's New York consul general, no charges have been filed against Greco.
Steven Brill, Greco's attorney, declined to comment on his client's schedule and whereabouts, stating that "despite numerous news reports and rumors surrounding Winnie, she has been charged with no crimes and is not cooperating with any federal or state authorities," in an email to the Daily News.
However, ongoing probes into Adams and the mayor's former aides, as well as federal prosecutors investigating private emails about trips to China organized by Greco, as outlined by the New York Post.
Meanwhile, the situation around City Hall intensifies as Adams’ top aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, turns herself in to face bribery and money laundering charges related to a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney and the City’s Department of Investigation, according to the New York Post. In addition, the Department of Justice has charged individuals for acting as illegal agents of China in separate cases.