AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie
Late Wednesday night, news broke that New York City Mayor Eric Adams had been indicted, though at the time, the charges were not yet specified.
Though the news itself wasn't a complete surprise, given all of the law enforcement activity surrounding the mayor and his associates, it's still a fascinating twist in the engrossing saga swirling around New York of late. Adams now becomes the first sitting New York City mayor to face federal indictment.
Thursday morning, the indictment against Adams was unsealed. The full 57-page document may be viewed below, but in sum, Adams is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Bribery, and to Receive Campaign Contributions by Foreign Nationals)
- Fraud by Wire, Radio, or Television
- Solicitation of a Contribution by a Foreign National
- Solicitation of a Contribution by a Foreign National
- Bribery
The crux of the allegations appears to reach back nearly a decade and stem from Adams' involvement with Turkish nationals.
The indictment outlines alleged illegal actions stretching back to 2014, from when he was Brooklyn Borough President.
“For nearly a decade, Adams sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him,” the indictment reads.
Adams allegedly sought and accepted illegal “nominee” or “straw” contributions. By “smuggling their contributions” to Adams’ campaign through the straw donors and actors from overseas, Adams “defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on U.S. elections,” according to the indictment.
In 2018, when Adams had announced his plans to run for New York City mayor, he allegedly accepted and sought illegal campaign contributions to his upcoming mayoral campaign, the indictment says.
Businesses also circumvented the city’s ban on corporate contributions “by funneling their donations through multiple employees,” according to the indictment.
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