NEW YORK, Sept 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been accused of bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations in federal criminal charges unsealed on Thursday morning.
Adams, 64, is a former police officer who was elected to lead the most populous US city nearly three years ago on a promise to be tough on crime.
The mayor and other top city officials have faced growing scrutiny as part of multiple federal corruption probes, including whether his campaign received illegal foreign donations from Turkey.
Adams has denied any wrongdoing and resisted any calls to resign.
In a video released on Wednesday evening after news of the indictment dropped, Adams said any charges against him would be “entirely false” and “based on lies”.
The 57-page indictment alleges Adam “sought and accepted” bribes for nearly 10 years, beginning when he was the Brooklyn borough president. The corrupt activity continued after his mayoral inauguration in 2021, the documents alleged.
Prosecutors allege Adams used straw donors – a scheme that a person or entity uses to evade campaign finance limits – to take in illegal donations from foreign and corporate entities.
Adams sought to conceal the benefits he received, hiding the gifts from annual disclosure forms and telling a co-conspirator he “always” deleted text messages related to illegal trips and gifts, according to court documents.
Since being sworn in on the first day of 2022, Adams and his colleagues have been put under growing federal scrutiny.
The FBI raided the home of his chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and other members of his campaign last year as part of a probe believed to be focused on whether he received illegal campaign contributions from the Turkish government and other foreign sources.
In recent weeks, the Adams’ administration has been roiled by the resignation of a number of top aides as new investigations grew to a fever pitch. The police commissioner, the health commissioner, and the mayor’s chief counsel have all left office.
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks also announced his plans to resign weeks after federal investigators seized his phones during a search of the home that he shares with his partner, Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, on Sept 4. — NNN-AGENCIES
