NEW YORK: Scandal-plagued New York Mayor Eric Adams was charged Thursday with wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and bribery conspiracy, stunning charges that fueled calls for him to resign.
The grand jury indictment follows a wide-ranging investigation into the mayor's conduct and whether he conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal contributions in exchange for favorable treatment.
A defiant Adams told reporters that he hoped he would “want to defend himself” and dismissed demands to resign, urging New Yorkers to “wait to hear our side of the story.”
But District Attorney Damian Williams, whose federal office is bringing the charges, said the mayor was “being secretly showered” with gifts for years, quickly crossing “bright red lines.”
“The conduct alleged in the indictment – the foreign money, the corporate money, the years of concealment – is a serious violation of the public trust,” Williams told reporters.
He said the investigation is ongoing: “We will hold more people responsible.”
The 57-page document accuses the mayor of the most populous city in the United States of crimes dating back a decade, when Adams took over as Brooklyn borough president.
He accepted luxury international flights, hotel suites and free meals at high-end restaurants, including from at least one Turkish government official, the charges allege.
When he began planning to run for mayor in 2018, Adams “not only accepted, but sought illegal contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals,” according to court documents.
“As Adams' prominence and power grew, his foreign benefactors sought to profit from their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when, in 2021, it became clear” that he would become mayor,” the indictment reads.
“Adams agreed, providing him with favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received.”
In one example, prosecutors say Adams pressured the city's fire department to approve Turkey's new consulate in Manhattan despite security concerns.
The scandal has swirled around Adams for months, with several high-ranking allies resigning while others were indicted or raided by federal agents.
The drama escalated with a pre-dawn raid on his official residence on Thursday morning.
Adams, who is seeking re-election in 2025, had tried to ignore the mounting investigations.
But many city and state officials are calling for him to resign, including on Wednesday when influential New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said he must resign “for the good of the city.”
