There, a grand jury indicted the mayor of the richest city in the richest country in the history of the world on federal bribery and wire fraud charges. But Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams has some choice words for those throwing stones.
“I always knew that standing up for New Yorkers would make me a target, and I would become a target myself,” Adams said in a statement, adding that he was facing legal challenges for resisting the flow of immigrants. It seemed to imply that the Ministry was targeting him. The federal government sent them to his city.
“I demand a swift trial so New Yorkers can hear the truth. New Yorkers know my story. They know where I'm coming from. I have spent my life fighting injustice. “I've come,” he continued.
“That fight continues even as I become mayor. Despite our pleas, the federal government’s broken immigration policies continue to overburden our shelter system with no relief. But when I did nothing, I put the people of New York above political parties and politics.”
Adams adamantly maintains his innocence and claims the charges against him are based on “lies.” Sound familiar?
Indicting the mayor of New York is a big deal. Prosecutors will only take such steps if there is irrefutable evidence. But bribery charges against Eric Adams don't match the hype, write James Burnham and Yaakov Rosshttps://t.co/2JSj4N5jOz
— Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) September 30, 2024
The Democratic mayor of America's bluest city now sounds almost indistinguishable from Donald Trump. And like Trump, he may have a point. (Related: Eric Adams claims Biden-Harris administration targeted him after speaking out about 'broken immigration policy')
Mr. Adams is charged with five counts of bribery, wire fraud, and solicitation of donations from a foreign government. But even after years of thorough examination of his electronic devices and interviews with staff, the charges brought against him are far from complete. In response to this historic indictment, incumbent mayoryou wouldn't expect federal prosecutors to risk their careers and reputations unless they knew it was a slam dunk, a payoff with clear paper evidence. However, although the 57-page indictment makes numerous “status quo” claims, there is scant evidence that Adams has achieved “status quo.”
As lawyers James Burnham and Yaakov Ross so skillfully explain in this book, wall street journal:
The indictment spends many paragraphs discussing the benefits received, many of them travel and entertainment, but downplays the public measures promised in return. The stripped-down indictment details a man who lived an upper-class lifestyle while serving as Brooklyn's borough president and borough president. We were shocked to find that a prominent mayor of the Big Apple had a wealthy benefactor who wanted to pick up the check.
The worst thing about the “current situation,” the two lawyers say, is that Adams helped speed up the opening of the Turkish consulate in time for the president's visit. In other words, it helps break through red tape. A determined prosecutor might be able to paint a picture of a technical crime, but this would never be recorded on the scale of corruption in the American government.
So Adams seems to have finally woken up to the state of the current administration, even if he is not the completely innocent victim he claims to be. Does this mean we can expect immediate support from Trump across party lines? If he really believes what he's saying, he should. But never hold your breath. If he wants to return to “high life,” he will be more determined than ever to return to the regime's favor. And that means learning which line to toe.
If he comes out of this situation politically unscathed, he would be wrong to apologize publicly while snorting that “diversity is our strength and the Department of Justice has done nothing wrong.” do not have.
