New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on five federal charges, including bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions. In a new detail, prosecutors said the scheme began when he was the top elected official in Brooklyn and continued after he was sworn in as the city’s 110th mayor.
The investigation began in 2021, and the prosecutor’s primary focus has been on whether there was a conspiracy between the mayor and the Turkish government in which he would receive illegal foreign campaign contributions in exchange for his official actions to aid the Turkish government. The charges against Adams date back almost 10 years.
Adams was Brooklyn Borough Chief
In 2017, when Eric Adams was Brooklyn Borough President, he accepted an exceptionally inexpensive stay at the St. Regis Istanbul, owned by a woman interested in doing business with him.
He stayed at the hotel’s Bentley Suite for two nights, typically costing $7,000, even though Adams allegedly paid only $600. The cash-for-favorable treatment conspiracy intensified in 2021 when it became apparent that Eric Adams was in line to be New York City’s next mayor.
Mayor’s Office in Turmoil
The indictment was announced hours after Adams declared that he would remain in office and would fight the charges with “every ounce of my strength and spirit.” This bombshell is the latest development in an investigation that has already seen the city’s police commissioner, schools chancellor, and top lawyer submit their resignations.
The first sign of an investigation into the mayor’s affairs was last November when FBI agents raided the home of Adam’s top campaign fundraiser. Agents at the time seized phones and an iPad from the home of Brianna Suggs.
Caught in the Web
Then, earlier this month, federal investigators searched the home of several top city officials with close ties to Adams. In this sting, Police Commissioner Edward Caban’s phone was seized, which prompted his resignation on Sept. 12.
Additionally, the investigation involved Caban’s twin brother James, who allegedly acted as a “police liaison” for midtown Manhattan and Queens bar and club owners in exchange for preferred treatment by local precincts.
The probe also included a search of the home of Adams’ former director of Asian Affairs, Winnie Greco.
Calls to Resign
Among those calling for Adams to resign are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Sen. John Liu, D-Queens, and State Senator Zellnor Myrie. The public has yet to hear comments from the heavy hitters of New York politics, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul’s office would only say that the news reports are “concerning.”
