Today it was revealed that New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal charges of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources, most notably from a Turkish government official who offered him lavish gifts in exchange for influence. Adams denies the charges and says he will stay on as mayor.
No Surprise
The first-term Democratic mayor, who won office in 2021, claimed he was not surprised by the indictments. He said in a statement on Wednesday that he was innocent of all charges:
It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes. 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.
“I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit,” he concluded.
The fiery Adams has been at odds with the federal government over their lax immigration enforcement policies. He noted in his statement:
Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics.
Adams has also said that he’d like to roll back the city’s “sanctuary city” policy, telling reporters in February:
I want to go back to the standards of the previous mayors who I believe subscribe to my belief that people who are suspected of committing serious crimes in this city should be held accountable.
The Charges
Specifically, Adams was charged with one count of “conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals”; one count of wire fraud; two counts of “solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national”; and one count of bribery. The indictment appears here.
The Feds claim that once Adams knew he was going to be mayor, the malfeasance began:
As ADAMS’s prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash in on their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when, in 2021, it became clear that ADAMS would become New York City’s mayor. ADAMS agreed, providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received.
The Turkish official then allegedly arranged donations to Adams’ campaign, as well as gifts such as free or heavily discounted airline travel, free hotel rooms, and meals in high-end restaurants.
The Biden administration denied involvement in the Adams case.
Reactions
“The president was clear, even when he was running in 2020, that he was going to make sure that DOJ is independent and the DOJ is handling this case independently,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who apparently has the power to remove Adams from office, is taking a wait-and-see approach to the developing scandal:
I’m going to take the time I need to review this indictment, see what’s embedded with this, but my number one responsibility is to make sure the people of New York city and state of New York are served.
The indictments were sealed before becoming public today, but Beltway insiders apparently already knew of the charges. Last night, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) called on Adams to resign.
“I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” she said in an X post on Wednesday. “The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration. For the good of the city, he should resign.”
Adams responded to AOC:
For anyone who self-righteously claims people charged with serious crimes should not be in jail to now say that the second Black mayor of New York should resign because of rumors and innuendo — without even a single charge being filed — is the height of hypocrisy.
Others asked for prayers for New York City, given the startling situation. According to New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries:
Like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence. That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America. A jury of the Mayor’s peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination. In the meantime, I pray for the well-being of our great City.
Jeffries is right. New York City does need prayer, but probably not for the reasons he thinks it does.
