Update: The criminal indictment against Eric Adams was unsealed on Thursday afternoon, revealing that the mayor has been accused of bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was reportedly indicted on federal charges on Wednesday in connection with a year-long corruption probe into his administration. The grand jury indictment, which remains sealed as of Thursday morning, makes Adams the first of New York City’s 110 mayors to face criminal charges while in office.
First reported by the New York Times, the exact nature of the charges against Adams has not been made public. However, the federal investigation into the New York City government centers on allegations that Adams and his campaign received illegal donations from the Turkish government in exchange for favors once he took office. The Times also reports that federal prosecutors have subpoenaed information related to deals with China, Qatar, Uzbekistan, South Korea, and Israel.
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In a video statement responding to the indictment, Adams maintained his innocence and suggested that the prosecution was politically targeted as payback for his criticism of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies.
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target—and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
“I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth,” he continued. “New Yorkers know my story. They know where I come from. I have been fighting injustice my entire life. That fight has continued as your mayor. Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics.”
NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS AFTER FEDERAL INDICTMENT: “It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with federal crimes. If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies.”
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a… pic.twitter.com/xXT7hRlP0G
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 26, 2024
On Thursday, federal agents were seen reaching Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, but the mayor’s attorneys confirmed that he has not been arrested.
Last November, FBI agents temporarily seized Adams’ electronic devices, just days after executing a search at the home of Brianna Suggs, the mayor’s top fundraiser. At the time, Adams laughingly dismissed the idea that he was guilty of a crime.
Multiple members of Adams’s administration, as well as several other high-ranking New York officials, have been named in the corruption probe, and several announced their resignations ahead of the indictment. These officials include David C. Banks, chancellor of the New York City public schools system; NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan; chief mayoral legal counsel Lisa Zornberg; and NYC Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to VT.com for updates.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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