By James Myers, OAN Staff
Thursday, September 26, 2024 9:16 AM
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with five federal counts, including wire fraud, bribery and soliciting foreign donations, according to a 57-page federal indictment unsealed Thursday.
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U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York have accused Adams (S.D.) of engaging in a scheme that spanned “nearly a decade,” beginning in 2014 when he became Brooklyn's borough president.
They alleged that the mayor solicited and received “illicit benefits, including luxury international trips, from wealthy foreign businessmen and at least one senior Turkish government official seeking to exert influence over him.”
According to the indictment, Adams accepted a deeply discounted stay at the St. Regis Istanbul in 2017, owned by a businessman who “sought to integrate himself with Adams.”
Investigators say Adams then solicited and accepted illegal dummy donations from Turkish nationals, and once he became mayor, “foreign benefactors sought to exploit their corrupt ties to him to make money.”
“As Mr. Adams' profile and power grew, foreign backers sought to exploit their corrupt relationships with him to make money, especially once it became clear that Mr. Adams would run for mayor of New York City in 2021,” the indictment states. “Mr. Adams agreed, offering them preferential treatment in exchange for the corrupt benefits.”
Federal agents searched Adams' Gracie Mansion home Thursday morning and seized his cellphone, according to Adams' lawyers.
Federal investigators have also conducted a series of searches targeting Adams' inner circle in recent weeks, including the new police commissioner, the commissioner Adams replaced, Adams' top lawyer and the schools superintendent, all of whom have announced their resignations.
However, the indicted mayor continues to maintain his innocence.
“I always knew that standing up for the people of New York would make me a target, and I have been,” Adams said in a video statement late Wednesday after reports broke that he had been indicted in a long-running corruption investigation. “I remain innocent of the charges and intend to fight them with all my might and all my spirit.”
Additionally, several elected officials have called on Adams to resign, saying he cannot serve while defending himself in a federal criminal case.
Last November, federal agents seized several cellphones and electronic devices from the mayor as part of a corruption investigation.
The indictment makes Adams the first New York City mayor to face criminal charges while in office.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
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