At the New York City leg of her "Short N' Sweet" tour, pop star Sabrina Carpenter quipped about how she played a part in getting Mayor Eric Adams indicted on federal corruption charges.
Carpenter often adlibs her performances and she spoke between songs during her concert at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, according to videos posted on social media.
"What now?", the 25-year-old asked fans. "Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted or..."
Adams was indicted last week on federal charges alleging he accepted lavish travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for political favors, which included pushing through the opening of a Turkish consulate building.
He has pleaded not guilty and his attorney on Monday urged a federal judge to dismiss the bribery charge brought last week, accusing âzealous prosecutorsâ of leveling an âextraordinarily vague allegationâ that does not rise to the level of a federal crime.
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So, what does Carpenter have to do with this? The short answer: probably nothing.
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The singer was likely joking and referring to how federal investigators are looking into possible business dealings at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, the Williamsburg church where Carpenter partially filmed her "Feather" music video.
NBC New York reported earlier this month that the Catholic church received a subpoena requesting information about financial or business dealings between Frank Carone, the one-time chief of staff to Adams, and a monsignor named Jamie Gigantiello, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Gigantiello and Carone say they have been friends for decades.
Neither man has been charged with wrongdoing, and it appears the federal inquiry is in its early stages.
A spokeswoman for the Brooklyn Diocese did not deny that a subpoena was issued to the monsignor's church and issued this statement: âThe Diocese is fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in all investigations, including of conduct at individual parishes or involving any priests.â
Details of the federal inquiry are not clear, and Carpenter is unlikely to have an insight into the matter. What's known is that the monsignor was demoted in 2023 after pop star Carpenter released her music video. He said he regretted the decision and had been unaware of the video's contents.
Monsignor Gigantiello had been a lead fundraiser for the church before being stripped of his duties over that music video. He has served as an FDNY chaplain and property records show he owns homes in Westhampton and in Florida.
Questions about possible business transactions between Carone and the monsignor come amid four separate ongoing federal investigations into City Hall, the NYPD and past Adams' campaign fundraising, sources with knowledge of the matter tell NBC New York.
Only the mayor has been charged, but the investigations have resulted in the NYPD commissioner resigning and several top mayoral aides having their phones seized by the FBI. Those investigations are ongoing and it appears, according to sources, Carone and the monsignor are facing scrutiny from federal prosecutors in a separate matter.
Spokespersons for the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the FBI, IRS and New York City's Department of Investigation all declined comment.
