New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing five criminal charges stemming from a federal corruption investigation, charges that Democratic lawmakers from New York to Washington have deemed “serious.”
Adams is charged with wire fraud, solicitation of foreign contributions and bribery, but denied any wrongdoing charges at a news conference Thursday. He insisted he would not resign.
Federal authorities Thursday morning raided Gracie Manor, the home of Adams' top city official, as part of an investigation into campaign finance misappropriation and certain ties to Turkey dating back to his 2021 run for mayor of New York City. The house was searched.
Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that part of the indictment focuses on Adams' financial rifts and lavish travel allowances: “These upgrades and freebies were not part of frequent flyer programs or employee benefits. It wasn't part of the program.” It can also be used by the general public. ”
Adams, a former NYPD lieutenant, is the city's second Black mayor and a key ally of President Biden, and the two have sparred throughout his tenure.
Here are five things to know about prosecution.
1. Prosecutors claim Adams' campaign illegally received $10 million in public funds
Prosecutors say Adams is suspected of receiving money through a fund-matching program that effectively matches small individual donations with contributions of up to eight times to public financing.
The indictment states that Adams' mayoral campaign “applied for matching funds based on known straw donations and fraudulently obtained up to $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution.”
It also alleges that he and his associates made “false certifications of compliance” to appear to be in compliance with current campaign finance laws. The move ultimately raised a total of $10 million from the public, according to the indictment.
2. Mr. Adams urged the FDNY to approve the establishment of a new Turkish consulate in response to Turkey's request.
Turkish authorities pressured Adams in September 2021 to persuade the New York City Fire Department to allow the opening of a new Turkish consulate without proper building inspections. The official hoped to open before the widely anticipated visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“At that time, the building would have failed FDNY inspection,” the indictment states.
According to court documents, Adams “acted as instructed” after receiving “complimentary travel and other travel-related bribes arranged by Turkish authorities in 2021 and 2022.”
“The law ensures that officials like him serve the people, not the highest bidder, foreign bidders and, of course, foreign powers,” the U.S. attorney said Thursday.
“These are bright red lines, and we allege that the mayor has crossed these lines numerous times over the years,” Williams said. “That's the only reason we're here.”
3. Turkish officials congratulated Adams on election victory
Following Mr. Adams' victory in the New York mayoral election, two Turks, a businessman and a person listed only as a “facilitator” in the indictment, expressed excitement over the outcome.
The Turkish businessman asked if the election was over, and organizers responded that they had received “messages of congratulations” on Adams' success and expected him to be appointed “as a representative.”
“I will go to the elders in Ankara and discuss how we can make this advantageous for our lobby,” the promoter continued. The businessman reacted positively to the news, saying, “That's great.”
4. Adams told the FBI his cell phone was “locked” and he forgot the password.
A day after FBI agents attempted to search Adams' cellphone and other devices under a warrant, Adams said he had forgotten his password and was unable to access it.
Adams said his password was “locked” in response to the federal subpoena and that he created a new password the day before.
The indictment alleges that Adams intentionally changed the lock code “to prevent staff from inadvertently or intentionally deleting the contents of the cell phone” in order to avoid interfering with the ongoing investigation. .
5. An employee left a meeting with the FBI to go to the bathroom, during which time he deleted his phone messaging software.
During a meeting with FBI agents, which the indictment describes as “voluntary,” an employee of Mr. Adams got up from the interview and went to the bathroom.
The documents state that while she was away from a meeting with FBI agents, ostensibly in the bathroom, she was using an “encrypted messaging application that she was using to communicate with ADAMS, promoters, Turkish officials, airline managers, and others. has been deleted.''
Contributed by Ella Lee.
