New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted Thursday on federal charges alleging that he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources.
The U.S. attorney鈥檚 office in Manhattan alleges in the indictment that Adams 鈥渃ompounded his gains鈥 from the illegal contributions by gaming the city鈥檚 matching funds program, which provides a generous match for small dollar donations.
FBI agents entered the mayor鈥檚 official residence and seized his phone early Thursday, hours before the indictment was made public. The indictment caps off an in New York City, as federal investigators have homed in on members of Adams鈥 inner circle, producing a drum-beat of raids, subpoenas and high-level resignations that have thrust City Hall into crisis.
Here's the latest:
Adams鈥 lawyer says the mayor wanted to turn himself in Thursday but is now hoping to appear in court Friday or Monday
Speaking to reporters, Alex Spiro suggested federal authorities waved off his immediate surrender. He also accused them of leaking word of Adams鈥 indictment to the news media.
鈥淲e鈥檝e known for some time that they intended to bring a case against the mayor one way or another,鈥 Spiro said, standing with Adams outside the mayor鈥檚 official residence.
Spiro said that after having had a chance to read the indictment, 鈥測ou could almost picture them trying to cobble this together and try to tell a story so that they could say, 鈥榗orruption, corruption鈥 at a press conference.鈥
He criticized the indictment as a jumble of accusations and innuendo he said was 鈥渕eant to mislead鈥 the public about Adams. He argued that the conduct described in the charges either wasn鈥檛 illegal or didn鈥檛 involve the mayor.
The Turkish consulate was asking for 鈥渁 courtesy,鈥 not payback, when it wanted Adams鈥 help in skipping a fire inspection, Spiro said, adding: 鈥淣ew Yorkers do this all the time.鈥 Adams said he鈥檇 see what he could do and, a few days later, ignored a follow up phone call from the consulate, Spiro asserted.
鈥淭here is no corruption. This is not a real case,鈥 Spiro said.
Officials who enforce public campaign financing program say they鈥檙e reviewing the indictment
Officials who enforce the city鈥檚 public campaign financing program and can impose penalties for violations say they鈥檙e reviewing Adams鈥 indictment.
鈥淭he allegations detailed in the indictment are very serious, for New Yorkers and for those of us working to make our elections more accessible, transparent, and accountable to our city,鈥 Frederick Schaffer, chair of the city鈥檚 Campaign Finance Board, said in a statement. 鈥淲hile the mayor is presumed innocent until proven guilty and deserves due process, the Board will nonetheless review all relevant information, including but not limited to the indictment, in order to uphold our city鈥檚 campaign finance rules and protect taxpayer dollars.鈥
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer comments on Adams鈥 indictment
鈥淣o one is above the law, including the Mayor of New York City,鈥 the New York Democrat said in a statement. 鈥淭he charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly.鈥
Speaker of the New York City Council: 鈥榃e will continue to monitor the situation鈥
At a news conference, Adrienne Adams, speaker of the New York City Council and a fellow Democrat who isn鈥檛 related to the mayor, said she hasn鈥檛 begun considering potential removal of the mayor from office. She said people charged with crimes are presumed innocent and have the right to defend themselves.
But, she added, 鈥淚 ask the mayor to seriously and honestly consider whether full attention can be given to our deserving New Yorkers who need our government to be sound and stable.鈥
Asked about removing the mayor, Adrienne Adams responded, 鈥淲e are of course, like I said, very troubled by everything that鈥檚 transpired. We are not prepared today to give an answer to that question. We will continue to monitor the situation, to be in talks with our colleagues both at city and state level as we all monitor the situation and see how this further unfolds.鈥
Adams came from a working class childhood
Adams has often highlighted his working-class upbringing. He was one of six children raised by a single mother and has spoken of carrying around a garbage bag packed with his clothes because he feared his family would be evicted.
At 15, he was beaten by police officers after being arrested for trespassing, but the bruising encounter sparked a desire to change the system from within, he said. Adams joined the New York City transit police in 1984 and eventually became a New York Police Department officer when the transit department merged into the larger NYPD.
He rose to the rank of captain and was the co-founder of an advocacy group called 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, which sought criminal justice reform and denounced police brutality.
He retired from the police department in 2006.
鈻 Read more about .
The White House responds to claims made by Adams about his indictment
The White House pushed back against claims by the New York City mayor that he was targeted because of his objections to the administration鈥檚 efforts to address immigration and border crossings, saying the actions by the Justice Department were independent of politics.
鈥淭he president was clear, even when he was running in 2020, that he was going to make sure that DOJ is independent and the DOJ is handling this case independently,鈥 White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at Thursday鈥檚 briefing.
Adams鈥 administration has been bogged down with attempts to house tens of thousands of international migrants who overwhelmed the city鈥檚 homeless shelters, with Adams at odds with President Joe Biden over funding and a strategy to handle the influx of new residents.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says she hasn鈥檛 read the Adams indictment yet
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, told reporters after an event Thursday morning that she had not yet read the indictment but would soon do so and then offer detailed comments on the charges.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to take the time I need to review this indictment, see what鈥檚 embedded with this, but my number one responsibility is to make sure the people of New York city and state of New York are served,鈥 Hochul said.
If Adams were to resign, he would be immediately replaced by Jumaane Williams, the city鈥檚 public advocate
Williams, a Democrat, would then schedule a special election.
In a statement Thursday, Williams did not explicitly call for Adams to step down but said 鈥淚t is federal officials鈥 obligation to prove their case, it is the mayor鈥檚 obligation to prove to New Yorkers that there is a real plan and path to govern the city effectively and regain trust, and his time to show that plan is rapidly running out.鈥
A stunning turn for Adams
Adams is the police captain who won election nearly three years ago to become the city鈥檚 second Black mayor on a campaign that stressed his working class roots and commitment to public safety.
But as he has made reducing crime a cornerstone of his administration, he's faced growing legal peril, with multiple homing in on his top aides and his own campaign.
In the last two weeks alone, the leaders he appointed to oversee the country鈥檚 largest police force and largest schools system have announced their resignations.
Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries calls Adams鈥 indictment 鈥榓 serious and sober moment for New York City鈥
Jeffries is the Democratic leader of the U.S. House and a New Yorker.
鈥淟ike every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence. That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America,鈥 Jeffries said in a statement. 鈥淎 jury of the Mayor鈥檚 peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination. In the meantime, I pray for the well-being of our great City.鈥
Former political science professor says the Adams indictment will cause a leadership vacuum
Douglas Muzzio, a retired political science professor from Baruch College with extensive knowledge of New York politics, said the indictment will cause a leadership vacuum at the highest level of city government as Adams tries to fend off the charges.
鈥淧retty soon entire departments are going to have gridlock, and as people are worried about their jobs, their future, the momentum of the city is going to slow considerably,鈥 Muzzio said. 鈥淭he impact is going to be real and substantial, particularly with the mayor out of the picture and many of his commissioners have resigned, will resign or are under a cloud.鈥
U.S. Attorney Damien Williams says Adams violated the public trust
Williams says Adams engaged in 鈥渓ong-running鈥 corruption involving bribes from foreign nationals dating back nearly a decade.
Speaking at a news conference at his Manhattan office, Williams detailed the allegations of bribery and illegal campaign contributions.
Williams also said the investigation continues and more people 鈥渨ill be held accountable.鈥
Adams was defiant in his news conference, criticizing federal authorities鈥 handling of the investigation and denying he broke any laws
鈥淓veryone who knows me knows that I follow campaign rules and I follow the law,鈥 he said.
The mayor said people should question the federal officials who orchestrated Thursday鈥檚 events, when asked if he believed the investigation was political.
More details on coverup allegations in the indictment
Adams failed to disclose his free and discounted travel, created a false paper trail to suggest he had paid it, claimed to a staffer that he deleted his text messages and directed the staffer to ensure his activities in Turkey in 2021 were shielded from public view, prosecutors alleged.
Adams and his co-conspirators, unnamed in the indictment, 鈥渃ontinued their efforts to defeat scrutiny of their criminal conduct after the federal investigation into those crimes became known to them,鈥 the indictment said.
Last November, as FBI agents knocked on her door to execute a search warrant, Adams鈥 fundraiser called the mayor five times and Adams later called her phone as agents were leaving her residence, the indictment said. The fundraiser refused to tell agents who paid for her 2021 travel to Turkey, the indictment said.
Adams was in Washington, D.C. at the time, but upon learning about the search, he canceled the meeting and immediately returned to New York City. A few days later, the FBI executed a search warrant for Adams鈥 electronic devices. According to the indictment, Adams produced two cellphones but not the personal cellphone he used in conjunction with his alleged crimes. Adams later turned over the phone in response to a subpoena, but it was locked and required a password that Adams claimed to have forgotten, the indictment said.
Protesters made their feelings known at Adams鈥 news conference
Shouting from the crowd, one told the mayor he should resign because he鈥檚 an 鈥渆mbarrassment.鈥 Another called him 鈥渃orrupt鈥 and said he should be in handcuffs.
Hazel Dukes, 92, the former leader of the NAACP and an Adams supporter, yelled back to the protesters, 鈥淲ill you shut up.鈥
Police circled the protesters as they chanted 鈥渁buse of power.鈥
At news conference, Adams says he wasn鈥檛 surprised by the indictments
Standing outside Gracie Mansion and surrounded by prominent Black clergy and civic leaders, Adams vowed to continue his mayoral duties and urged New Yorkers to wait to make any judgments until after he presents his defense.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an unfortunate day. And its a painful day,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut inside all of that is a day when we will finally reveal why, for 10 months, I鈥檝e gone through this. And I look forward to defending myself.鈥
Adams starting exploiting foreign relationships years before becoming mayor, while serving as Brooklyn Borough President, prosecutors say
According to the indictment, Adams accepted tens of thousands of dollars in free flights and upgrades on Turkey鈥檚 national airline for him and his companions, stays in luxury hotel suites, as well as other amenities such as a car and driver, boat tour, a Turkish bath at a seaside hotel and high-end restaurant meals.
Prosecutors also detailed steps Adams allegedly took to cover up his conduct
In 2019, while exchanging text messages to plan another possible to trip to Turkey, an Adams staffer texted the then-Borough President, 鈥淭o be o(n the) safe side Please Delete all messages you send me,鈥 according to the indictment.
According to prosecutors, Adams responded: 鈥淎lways do.鈥
Adams was indicted on federal charges alleging he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources
The indictment alleges Adams 鈥渃ompounded his gains鈥 from the illegal contributions by gaming the city鈥檚 matching funds program, which provides a generous match for small dollar donations. His campaign received more than $10,000 in matching funds as a result of the false certifications, according to the indictment.
Adams allegedly 鈥渟olicited and demanded鈥 bribes, including free and heavily discounted luxury travel benefits from a Turkish official, the indictment alleges, noting that the official was seeking Adams鈥 help pertaining to regulations of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan.
Despite indictment news, Adams touts new program on housing projects
Adams appears to be going about some usual business as he touted a new program to help affordable housing projects become more eco-friendly.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making sure that we don鈥檛 leave anyone behind as we build a greener, cleaner city for working-class New Yorkers,鈥 the mayor said in a statement Thursday morning, without any mention of the indictment.
Adams is the first NYC mayor to be indicted
Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office. If he were to resign, he would be replaced by the city鈥檚 public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who would then schedule a special election.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office. Hochul spokesperson Avi Small issued a statement late Wednesday that said 鈥淕overnor Hochul is aware of these concerning news reports and is monitoring the situation. It would be premature to comment further until the matter is confirmed by law enforcement.鈥
Adams was still at Gracie Mansion, his official residence, as of 9:30 a.m. Thursday
His former chief of staff, Frank Carone, and deputy mayor for communications, Fabien Levy, were seen entering.
The mood at City Hall, roughly 30 minutes south, was notably quieter. As a gaggle of reporters typed in a press room, the side of the building used by the mayor鈥檚 staff was largely silent, with only a handful of aides walking in and out of the normally lively corridor. A portion of the outdoor plaza used as parking for municipal employees featured far fewer city vehicles than usual.
US attorney鈥檚 office in New York says it will announce 鈥榮ignificant public corruption charges鈥
The U.S. attorney鈥檚 office in New York says it will announce 鈥渟ignificant public corruption charges鈥 at a news conference later Thursday morning.
The announcement came hours after federal agents entered the mayor鈥檚 official residence and seized his phone early Thursday, hours before the indictment was made public. The news conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET.
In a video speech released Wednesday night, Adams vowed to fights any charges against him, claiming he had been made a 鈥渢arget鈥 in a case 鈥渂ased on lies.鈥
The indictment caps off an in New York City, as federal investigators have homed in on members of Adams鈥 inner circle, producing a drum-beat of raids, subpoenas and high-level resignations that have thrust City Hall into crisis.
Adams' lawyer criticizes the large FBI presence at the mayor's residence
New York City Mayor Eric Adams鈥 lawyer is calling the large FBI presence at the mayor鈥檚 official residence Thursday morning an unnecessary show of force.
鈥淭hey send a dozen agents to pick up a phone when we would have happily turned it in,鈥 attorney Alex Spiro said in a statement.
Spiro said federal agents were at Gracie Mansion 鈥渋n an effort to create a spectacle (again).鈥
Dozens of uniformed police officers as well as law enforcement agents in suits milled around the security gate. SUVs with darkened windows came and left, and officers could be seen bringing coffee and doughnuts inside.
