NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted on 5 federal public corruption charges

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NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted on 5 federal public corruption charges, including bribery and wire fraud

By Evan Perez, Mark Morales, Kara Scannell, Brynn Gingras and Gloria Pazmino, CNN
Updated 10:53 AM EDT, Thu September 26, 2024

[Breaking news update, published at 10:51 a.m. ET]

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on five federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, according to a 57-page indictment unsealed Thursday morning.

He is facing one charge each of bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two charges relating to receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals. He is also charged with wire fraud.


CNN is reading through the indictment and will update with detailed information on the charges.

[Original story, published at 10:41 a.m. ET]

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on at least one federal criminal charge, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, and on Thursday morning investigators executed a search warrant at his home.

The charges have not been made clear. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, is set to discuss the indictment at a news conference at 11:30 a.m. ET.

The indictment follows a monthslong federal investigation by the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan reportedly scrutinizing his connection to Turkish officials and businessmen and campaign donations he received.

The New York Times was first to report the news of the indictment on Wednesday night.

Adams has previously denied any wrongdoing, and he has repeated that he told members of his campaign and administration to follow the law. In a video statement Wednesday night, Adams was defiant and said the 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 target – and a target I became,” he said. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”

The indictment represents a dramatic fall from grace for the mayor of America’s largest city and a stunning accusation against one of the nation’s most high-profile offices.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, took office in January 2022 and presented himself as the new face of the Democratic Party, promising a tough-on-crime approach and a commitment to revitalizing the city after the COVID-19 pandemic.


Yet he has struggled to resolve the city’s key challenges, such as the migrant crisis and concerns about subway safety, and has faced criticism for his late-night partying and clashes over city spending, particularly on education. He once described himself as “the Biden of Brooklyn,” but he has increasingly criticized the Biden administration and the federal government over its handling of immigration issues.


New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s administration is in chaos as federal probes target his inner circle
Now, nearly three years into his first term, Adams is facing at least one federal charge that jeopardizes his ability to remain in office and threatens his political career. The indictment could also play a role in the coming election, as control of the US House of Representatives could come down to several close New York races.

Adams was at Gracie Mansion when word of the indictment broke Wednesday night. Adams had not been formally informed of the indictment when the news broke, multiple sources told CNN.

In the immediate, the mayor is expected to have several days to turn himself in, according to sources familiar with the case. He’s not expected to appear in court Thursday. Prosecutors previously informed his attorneys that if charged, he would be summoned to surrender at a future date, multiple sources told CNN.

On Thursday morning, federal investigators went to Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, and are believed to have executed a search warrant and served the mayor with a summons, according to a law enforcement official. They spent more than 3 hours inside, according to a source.

Adams remains huddled with his legal team and a senior aide at Gracie Mansion, the source said.

Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Adams, criticized the search, saying it was “an effort to create a spectacle” and take the mayor’s phone “when he would have happily turned it in.”

“He has not been arrested and looks forward to his day in court,” Spiro said.

When asked on Tuesday if he was considering resigning, Adams said, “I’m stepping up, not stepping down.” Even so, several prominent New York political figures, including US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have already called for his resignation.
 
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