The scandal-plagued Mayor Eric Adams of New York was hit with three stunning accusations on Thursday: wire fraud, soliciting unlawful foreign campaign contributions, and bribery conspiracy. These allegations intensified calls for Adams’ resignation.
The grand jury’s indictment comes after an extensive investigation into the mayor’s behavior and potential collusion with the Turkish government to obtain illicit donations in exchange for preferential treatment.
Rejecting calls to resign, a defiant Adams told reporters he looked “forward to defending” himself and urged New Yorkers to “wait to hear our side of the story.”
However, the federal office of US District Attorney Damian Williams, which is filing the charges, claimed that the mayor had been “secretly being showered” with gifts for years, slipping through “bright red lines.”
“The conduct alleged in the indictment — the foreign money, the corporate money, the years of concealment — is a grave breach of the public’s trust,” Williams told reporters.
The inquiry is underway, he declared, adding, “We will hold more people accountable.”
The mayor of the most populous US city is accused of offenses dating back ten years, to when Adams was elected as the borough president of Brooklyn, according to a 57-page dossier.
According to the accusations, he took advantage of free meals at upscale restaurants, hotel suites, and luxurious international travel, including from at least one Turkish government official.
Adams “not only accepted, but sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals,” according to prosecution records, when he started preparing to run for mayor in 2018.
The accusation states that as Adams’s notoriety and authority increased, his foreign-national backers tried to profit from their shady connections with him, especially after it became apparent that he would take office as mayor in 2021.
“Adams agreed, providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received.”
