NYC Mayor Eric Adams criminally charged, says he will not resign
NYC Mayor Eric Adams is accused of engaging “in a long-running conspiracy” related to campaign contributions from foreign donors and corporations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty on Friday to five federal criminal charges of accepting bribes, wire fraud and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, as the Democrat resists mounting calls from within his own party to resign.
“I am not guilty, your honor,” Adams, 64, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker when she asked for his plea at his first appearance in the case in Manhattan federal court in Lower Manhattan.
Who is Eric Adams?
One of six children, Adams grew up in Brooklyn to a single mom who cleaned houses. Adams tells the story of a time police beat him as a teenager, which inspired him to join NYPD, hoping to reform it from within. He became an outspoken officer on the force before becoming its captain.
In 2006, Adams was elected as state senator and served four terms until he was elected Brooklyn borough president in 2013. When he won the city’s mayoral election in 2021, he became only the second Black man to assume the office.
Adams announced his mayoral campaign in 2020, promising to lower crime, given his background as a police officer, and to prioritize public health when the city was facing the height of the COVID pandemic. A moderate Democrat, Adams has called himself the “Joe Biden of Brooklyn.”
What are the charges?
The 57-page indictment details five federal criminal allegations against Adams, including:
- Count 1: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
- Count 2: Wire fraud
- Counts 3 and 4: Solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national
- Count 5: Bribery
Federal prosecutors claim Adams secretly solicited and accepted illegal gifts and campaign donations from wealthy foreigners. In particular, allegations that Adams accepted luxury airline tickets, meals, and hotel rooms from Turkish officials.
According to the indictment, Adams returned the favor when he pressured the city’s fire department to approve the opening of a new Turkish consular building without a fire inspection in 2021. It alleges the building would have failed an inspection at the time, but Turkish officials were eager to open it ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the city for the U.N. General Assembly.
The indictment also alleges Adams illegally accepted foreign campaign donations and used them to “steal” $10 million in public funds through the city’s Matching Funds Program.
What comes next?
The judge in the case, Dale E. Ho, set a second hearing for Wednesday morning to discuss the trial schedule and other issues.
Facing public backlash and calls to resign, Adams has vowed to remain in his position as mayor. Under New York’s charter, Gov. Kathy Hochul holds the power to remove a mayor but has, so far, not said that she has plans to do so.
Hochul issued a statement on Thursday saying she would “review my options and obligations as the governor of New York.”
“I expect the mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well served by their leaders,” Hochul said.
Reuters and USA TODAY’s Bart Jansen contributed to this report. Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com and follow her on X @rachelbarber_
