NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Eric Adams was indicted Thursday on federal charges that he obtained bribes from foreign nationals and illegal campaign contributions in exchange for favors, including helping Turkish officials obtain fire safety permits for a new diplomatic building in the city.
Adams, a former New York Police Department captain, faces charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery in a five-count indictment that outlines a decade-long crime spree.
Despite the corruption scandal, Adams said he had no plans to resign as leader of the nation’s largest city, telling reporters he hoped New Yorkers would wait to hear his legal team’s defense before passing judgment.
“From now on, my lawyers will handle the case so I can handle the city,” he said at a hastily arranged news conference outside Gracie Mansion after the charges were made public. “It’s an unfortunate day. And it’s a painful day. But at the bottom of it all, there’s a day when we finally reveal why, for 10 months, I went through this. And I look forward to defending myself,” he said.
As Adams and others close to him spoke to the media, protesters booed them, some chanting “abuse of power” as police surrounded them and one shouting, “He’s a corrupt mayor. He deserves to be handcuffed.”
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan alleges in the indictment that Adams “not only accepted, but sought illegal contributions” to his mayoral campaign. A senior Turkish diplomatic official “facilitated numerous fictitious donations” to Adams and arranged for Adams and his companions to receive free or discounted travel on Turkey’s national airline to destinations including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary and Turkey, the indictment says.
Adams “increased his earnings” from illegal campaign contributions by misusing the city’s matching fund program, which provides generous matching for small donations. His campaign received more than $10 million in matching public funds through these false certifications, according to the indictment.
Adams allegedly “solicited and demanded” bribes, including free or discounted luxury travel, from a Turkish official, according to the indictment, which states that the official sought Adams’ help with regulations at the Turkish consulate in Manhattan. Adams created and directed others to create false paper trails to falsely suggest that he had paid for travel perks that were in fact free, prosecutors said. He also deleted messages with others implicated in his misconduct, at one point assuring a co-conspirator that he “always” deleted her text messages, according to the indictment.
The charges were made public hours after FBI agents entered the mayor’s official residence and seized his phone early Thursday.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan has scheduled a news conference for late morning to discuss the case.
Adams spent 22 years with the New York City Police Department before entering politics, first as a state senator and then as Brooklyn borough president. He was elected the city’s second Black mayor in 2021.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office. Her spokesman, Avi Small, issued a statement Wednesday night saying, “Governor Hochul is aware of these disturbing reports and is monitoring the situation. It would be premature to comment further until the matter is confirmed by law enforcement.”
The indictment crowns a some extraordinary weeks in New York as federal investigators focused on members of Adams’ inner circle, producing a rhythm of raids, subpoenas and high-level resignations that plunged City Hall into crisis.
Federal prosecutors are believed to be pursuing several separate investigations involving Adams and his top aides, those aides’ relatives, campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling by police and fire departments.
In the past two weeks alone, the city’s police commissioner and school system superintendent have announced their resignations.
Nearly a year ago, FBI agents seized Adams’ electronic devices as part of an investigation focused, at least in part, on campaign contributions and Adams’ interactions with the Turkish government. Because the charges were kept secret, it was unclear whether the same cases involved the same events.
In early September, federal investigators seized devices belonging to the police commissioner, the schools chancellor, two deputy mayors and other trusted individuals inside and outside City Hall.
All have denied any wrongdoing.
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This article has been updated to correct that prosecutors say Adams’ campaign received more than $10 million, not more than $10,000, in matching public funds as a result of false certifications.
