Eric L. Adams, a retired police captain who was elected New York City’s 110th mayor nearly three years ago on a promise to crack down on crime, has been indicted in a federal corruption investigation, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
The indictment remained sealed Wednesday night, and it was not immediately clear what charges Mr. Adams will face. But the federal investigation has focused at least in part on whether Mr. Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations.
When the indictment is unsealed, Mr. Adams will become the first New York mayor to face federal charges while in office.
The indictment promised to reverberate across the nation’s largest city and beyond, plunging Mr. Adams’ embattled administration further into chaos just months before he faces challengers in a hotly contested mayoral primary.
In a statement, Mayor Eric Adams said he did nothing wrong.
“I always knew that if I stood up for New Yorkers, I would be a target – and that’s what I’ve become,” he said. “If I’m charged, I’m innocent and I will fight with all my might and courage.”
Brendan R. McGuire and Boyd M. Johnson III, partners at WilmerHale who represent the mayor, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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