By The Diary
Sep 26, 2024, 11:43 AM EDT
New York Mayor Eric Adams faces federal charges of bribery, wire fraud and accepting improper campaign contributions.
The 57-page, five-count federal indictment was unsealed this morning. Adams is specifically charged with bribery, solicitation of unlawful foreign campaign contributions, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, charges that expose him to significant prison time if convicted, he said. ABC News.
The Democratic mayor held a news conference this morning shortly after the indictment was made public and his official residence was raided by federal agents, and again insisted that he would remain in office, something that is looking increasingly unlikely.
- Two mayors have resigned in New York’s history. Who would take over if Eric Adams leaves?
The mayor is accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions and bribes from foreign nationals in exchange for favors that include allegedly helping Turkish officials obtain fire safety approvals for a new diplomatic building in Manhattan.
The alleged conduct predates Adams’ tenure as mayor — a position he assumed in 2022 — and dates to his time as Brooklyn Borough President (2014-2021). The indictment includes photos of luxury hotel rooms and other perks the mayor allegedly received, such as free business-class flights abroad.
“We are not surprised,” Adams said at his press conference today, while asking New Yorkers to wait to hear his defense. His lawyer, Alex Spiro, released a tongue-in-cheek statement:
“We’ve known for a while that they would try to find a way to file a lawsuit against Mayor Adams. Yesterday there were more improper leaks. Today they emailed us a subpoena (and created the spectacle of a fake raid). And very soon, no doubt, they will hold an hour-long press conference instead of appearing in open court. Federal judges criticize (prosecutors) all the time for manipulating speech in front of cameras and tainting juries. But they keep doing it because they can’t help it – the spotlight is too exciting. We’ll see them in court.”
This morning, feds raiding Gracie Mansion seized Adams’ phone, just hours before the indictment announced last night was made public, when he became the first sitting NYC mayor to be charged in a federal investigation.
All charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.