On Thursday, September 26, New York City Mayor Eric Adams became the first sitting mayor in the city’s history to be indicted. The five charges brought against him include bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. They were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.
Adams is suspected of accepting illegal donations from foreign agencies, beginning during his time as Brooklyn Borough President from 2014 to 2021 and continuing throughout his tenure as mayor. The federal investigation into the mayor’s dealings began in 2021.
The Turkish national government has been implicated in the investigation for collusion with the Adams administration, leading to charges of bribery and conspiracy to solicit foreign contributions. Adams allegedly received discounts from Turkish Airlines for luxury travel in exchange for his intervention in New York Fire Department code violations within the Turkish consulate. The mayor’s campaign finances have also been called into question. During his 2021 campaign, Adams allegedly certified contributions from foreign citizens in a large-scale “straw donor” scheme.
The indictment has contributed to mass resignations within the Adams administration. Top officials including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Schools Chancellor David Banks and the Director of Asian Affairs Winnie Greco have stepped down in recent weeks. Many senior members of the Adams administration have been implicated in two other ongoing corruption investigations.
Mayor Adams has pleaded not guilty to all five charges and publicly proclaimed his innocence during a press conference, saying, “these charges [are] entirely false, based on lies. But they would not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target, and a target I became.” As of now, Eric Adams has resisted calls to resign, despite the mounting evidence against him and increasing backlash from New York City residents.
