Reynoso rejected lavish gifts from Turkey, met with FBI

October 2, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT Antonio Reynoso, unlike his predecessor Eric Adams, has not accepted lavish gifts from Turkey’s government, reports the New York Times. Reynoso described offers of free travel as “extravagant and irrelevant” to the borough presidency and in 2022, after being sent a set of gold-plated teacups by the Turkish consulate, returned them unused along with a thank-you note, on the advice of legal counsel. Later in 2022, after becoming overwhelmed by requests from diplomats, Reynoso met with the FBI, who warned him to be wary of offers to travel to foreign countries, including Turkey and China; of foreign diplomats and businesspeople, which spies frequently pose as; and of any gifts from consulates, which may be bugged with listening devices or used as political leverage.

“We went back and checked every single gift we received from a foreign country to make sure it was not bugged,” Reynoso told the Times. According to him, Borough Hall returned all foreign gifts valued over $50.

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