Fancy plane tickets, donations, and political favors: what to know about the charges.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by federal authorities for allegedly accepting illegal donations and perks from a Turkish government official and Turkish businesspeople, and providing favorable treatment in return.
The indictment follows months of investigations by federal prosecutors, who’ve also been looking into many of Adams’s current and former associates, including Schools Chancellor David Banks and Police Commissioner Edward Caban, who recently resigned after having their phones seized. Others in Adams’s orbit — including the former head of the Buildings Department and a former police inspector — have faced their own scandals and charges as well.
Adams has denied breaking the law, saying in a Wednesday video statement, “I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
Adams’s indictment, made public on Thursday, involves five federal corruption charges. The charges make Adams the first ever sitting New York City mayor to be indicted, and will likely have a significant effect on the upcoming mayoral race in 2025, which he was expected to run in.
First elected as mayor in 2021, Adams previously served as Brooklyn borough president, state senator, and a New York City police officer. He’s known for his aggressive push to increase policing and combat crime as mayor, as well as bombastic comments he’s made about migrants and kooky catchphrases about governance. Now, his tenure as a public servant could be approaching its end.
Below is a rundown of what we know about the indictment, and its implications. What are the charges against Eric Adams?
The charges center on Adams’s mayoral campaigns. They allege that he knowingly accepted illegal donations facilitated by a Turkish government official, and favors — like luxury plane tickets — as part of a quid pro quo relationship with the country. Together, they paint a picture of a foreign government official cultivating a prominent US politician over a period of years. The charges are:
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, solicit foreign contributions, and accept bribes (1 count): Adams is accused of setting up an illicit system to accept foreign donations as part of his mayoral campaigns, of accepting multiple plane tickets and luxury travel perks from a Turkish government official and Turkish businesspeople, and of helping a Turkish consulate building in New York City circumvent regulatory requirements in return.
