Federal prosecutors reportedly accused New York City Mayor Eric Adams of a scheme to solicit illegal contributions from international donors, which included charges of bribery, fraud, and campaign finance offenses.
In a 57-page indictment that was unsealed on Thursday, prosecutors alleged that Adams, a Democrat, pursued and received improper benefits from overseas benefactors for approximately a decade, including free flights on a Turkish airline and luxury international travel.
Adams is currently facing five criminal charges, one of which is the solicitation of contributions from a foreign national.
On Thursday at 11:30 a.m., Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, is scheduled to conduct a news conference.
Adams is the first sitting mayor of New York City to be indicted in modern history, despite the fact that other mayors have confronted corruption-related investigations.
In the past few weeks, his police commissioner, schools chancellor, and chief counsel have all announced their resignations, and his administration is currently under investigation by at least four federal agencies.
In 2022, Adams, who is 64 years old, assumed office following a centrist campaign that prioritized the reduction of violence in the city.
His tenure in law enforcement spanned over two decades, during which he served as a commander of the New York Police Department. He is eligible for re-election next year.
The mayor has refrained from addressing the scrutiny of his connections to individuals who have previously been involved in legal disputes since assuming office.
He has brazenly partied with two restaurateurs who were each convicted of a felony and has proudly described his mentoring of a bishop with a rap sheet.
In a previous federal corruption investigation, Philip Banks, his deputy mayor for public safety, was an unindicted co-conspirator.
The former commissioner of the city’s Department of Buildings was indicted in state court last year for accepting gratuities in exchange for using his position to grant favors to his associates.
Seventy current and former employees of New York City public housing were charged by federal prosecutors earlier this year with accepting illicit payments in exchange for awarding work to contractors.
Two former fire chiefs of New York City were indicted last week on charges of accepting gratuities in the amount of tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for expediting safety inspections.
Adams has been the subject of increasing demands for his resignation, including those from nearly two dozen city council members, since the indictment was disclosed late Wednesday.
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