About a dozen federal agents raided the downtown office of Portland's parking manager this morning and served a grand jury subpoena for city transportation records amid an intensifying public corruption investigation.

FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents showed up unannounced at parking manager Ellis K. McCoy's city office on the eighth floor of the Portland Building about 9:25 a.m., as others searched McCoy's Hillsboro apartment.

The joint investigation by the two federal agencies appears to be focused on McCoy's relationship with Tampa businessman George Levey, now president and chief executive officer of

, the contractor supplying Portland's multi-space parking meters called

.

The inquiry is looking at bribes or kickbacks Levey allegedly gave to McCoy in exchange for city contracts with Cale -- accusations that were repeatedly raised by McCoy's subordinates and led to an internal city investigation three years ago. It's not clear what the city inquiry found. McCoy has remained as Portland's parking operations manager since 2001.

Federal agents raid home and office of Portland parking manager 14 Gallery: Federal agents raid home and office of Portland parking manager

This morning, the U.S. Attorney's office informed the Portland city attorney's office and Mayor Sam Adams, who has been in charge of the parking and transportation bureau since he became a city commissioner in 2005, of the search once it was under way. Adams was presiding at the city council meeting at City Hall this morning as the searches occurred.

Gerri Badden, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office, confirmed this morning that a federal search warrant was served at an office of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton called the mayor this morning just minutes before the searches began.

"Since this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment on the matter,'' Adams said, in a written statement. "The City of Portland is cooperating fully with the investigation.''

Later, Adams added, "I'm very concerned, obviously. This is a city and a state that prides itself on, you know, clean government. So I'm concerned and want to make sure we're good partners with the FBI and the Department of Justice so they can do a very thorough job in their work.''

By 12:45 p.m., Adams issued a release, saying McCoy will be placed on paid administrative leave immediately.

Adams declined to provide specific answers to questions about oversight by the Portland City Council, which approved parking meter contracts that exceed $20 million.

Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard said he had yet to be briefed and wanted more information. Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Amanda Fritz did not comment. Portland Commissioner Nick Fish also declined to discuss it. "Because this is a criminal investigation, it's not appropriate to comment on the substance of the allegations, other than of course we take them very seriously,'' Fish said.

The subpoena demanded that the city preserve the Bureau of Transportation's computer records. Federal agents were meeting with McCoy at his office this morning.

Meanwhile, by 11:30 a.m. at McCoy's home, agents started hauling out boxes of papers and a desktop computer from his Hillsboro home.

Another team of federal agents today searched the Tampa offices of Cale Parking Systems USA Inc., the parking meter wholesaler.

The City of Portland, in contracts initiated by McCoy, has agreed to pay more than $20 million to Levey's company for its SmartMeter parking pay stations and related services between 2004 and 2016, city records show.

Cale Parking System USA’s website says it employs 5 to 9 people. It provides more than 50,000 multi-space meters in numerous cities across the country, including in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Indianapolis, San Diego, Chicago and Pasadena.

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