John Jefferson
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on at least one criminal charge by federal prosecutors, according to a report.
The Democrat becomes the first mayor of the city to be charged while in office, according to The New York Times, which first reported the indictment on Wednesday night.
It reportedly comes after a federal investigation into the mayor over campaign fundraising violations and foreign influence.
Adams is a retired police captain who grew up in Brooklyn and Queens. was elected as New York City’s 110th mayor in 2021 and took office in 2022.
So what do we know about the indictment of Adams?
What charges does Adams face?
Adams was criminally indicted on Wednesday on federal charges, according to people familiar with the matter.
It is unclear at this time what the charges could be, the indictment is under seal at this time, the New York Times reported. However, Adams has been facing numerous federal investigations.
It is not clear if Adams will surrender voluntarily or if he will be arrested. Prosecutors are likely to unseal the charges against him on Thursday when he could also appear in court.
Federal agents seized mayor’s electronic devices
In November 2023, federal agents seized Adams’ electronic devices as part of an ongoing probe into allegations of corruption related to campaign finance wrongdoings.
According to reports, Adams allegedly benefitted from a straw donor scheme during his 2021 mayoral campaign through his ties to Turkish government officials and Turkish nationals.
The New York City mayor has been vocal about his longstanding relationship with Turkey and the Turkish-American community of New York. He previously boasted that he’s made at least six trips to Turkey.
Reports circulated that Adams received campaign donations from employees of a Brooklyn-based construction company owned by a Turkish-American businessman.
Adams denies any wrongdoing
In a statement to The Independent, Adams denied that he had done anything wrong.
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target—and a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit,” he said.
Adams then released a video statement again proclaiming his innocence.
“My fellow New Yorkers, it is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes,” said Adams in the video. “If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies. But they would not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target, and a target I became.”
He added: “I can also understand how everyday New Yorkers would be concerned that I cannot do my job while I face accusations, but I have been facing these lies for months since I began to speak out for all of you and their investigation started.”
String of mayor’s associates have already resigned
Over the past several weeks several of the mayor’s political associates have resigned or announced their intention to leave their positions.
These include the mayor’s police commissioner, the schools chancellor, the health commissioner and his chief counsel.
Former mayor Bill de Blasio responds to indictment
De Blasio told CNN that he had “two reactions” to the indictment.
“They probably sound kind of different from each other,” de Blasio said.
“One is, of course, shock and concern for our city. And then another is a very strong reminder that innocent until proven guilty is the American way.
“I went through an experience with a Southern District where I saw a lot of things that did not come true despite allegations. I do think we have to be really careful here. We haven’t seen anything specific.”
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