He has protested his innocence.
New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted and is expected to face federal charges. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, makes Adams — a retired NYPD captain — the city’s first sitting mayor to be charged with a federal crime. We’re breaking down what he’s being charged with and what he’s said about the indictment so far.
What are Mayor Adams’ charges?
According to the 57-page indictment, Adams faces one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy, two counts of solicitation of a contribution from a foreign national, and one count of bribery. If convicted, he could face significant prison time.
Adams, who’s up for reelection next year, has already vowed to fight the charges and refused to step down. “I’m the mayor of the city of New York,” he said during a news conference. “From here, my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of the city. My day-to-day will not change. I will continue to do the job for 8.3 million New Yorkers that I was elected to do.”
Did Eric Adams conspire with the Turkish government?
Adams “sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.”
These sketchy relationships began even before he became mayor in 2022. For instance, in 2017, Adams allegedly accepted a heavily discounted stay at a luxury hotel in Istanbul, paying less than $600 for a suite that typically costs around $7,000. The disgraced mayor also received free or discounted travel on Turkish Airlines. Moreover, he not only took advantage of these kinds of benefits but also actively tried to hide them by creating “fake paper trials.”
Then, in 2021, prosecutors alleged that an unnamed Turkish official told Adams that it was “his turn” to repay the Turkish official, so he pressured the New York City Fire Department to speed up the opening of a new Turkish consular building without a fire inspection over concerns that it would’ve failed. “Because of Adams’ pressure…the FDNY official responsible for the FDNY’s assessment of the skyscraper’s fire safety was told that he would lose his job if he failed to acquiesce and, after Adams intervened, the skyscraper opened as requested by the Turkish Official,” they wrote in the indictment.
This follows at least four other federal probes into the Adams administration and several high-profile resignations. Earlier this month, federal investigators served several senior members of City Hall staff with search warrants and seized their phones. One of Adams’ staunchest allies, top City Hall lawyer Lisa Zornberg, resigned abruptly afterward, saying she could “no longer serve effectively” in her position.
Federal investigators also searched the homes of multiple top officials close to Adams earlier this month. Police Commissioner Edward Caban, whose phone was seized, resigned on Sept. 12.
Investigations ongoing since 2021
The F.B.I. and federal prosecutors began investigating Adams in 2021, focusing on potential foreign donations and whether he pressured the fire department to sign off on a new building housing the Turkish Consulate, despite safety concerns. Adams’ phone was seized, and then-Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro was questioned at least twice as part of the inquiry, per NBC News.
Adams insists that he’s innocent
Adams has repeatedly protested his innocence. “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 in a statement Wednesday night.
He’s likely to have several days to turn himself in.
Per CNN, Adams’ lawyers met with senior Justice Department officials last week in an attempt to avoid criminal charges.
Calls for Adams to step down
Calls for Adams to step down have been amplifying steadily. On Wednesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she could “not see how Mayor Adams can continue” in his job.
“Mayor Adams, like all New Yorkers, deserves due process, the presumption of innocence, and his day in court,” City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running for mayor, posted on X. “However, it is clear that defending himself against serious federal charges will require a significant amount of the time and attention needed to govern this great city. The most appropriate path forward is for him to step down so that New York City can get the full focus its leadership demands.”
The progressive New York Working Families Party swiftly issued a statement, saying “Adams can no longer govern.”
“He has lost the trust of the everyday New Yorkers he was elected to serve,” the group said.
