Mayor Adams Charged with Bribery and Fraud

The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, has been accused of committing several different corruption crimes ranging from bribery to campaign fraud. Eric Adams was formerly the New York City Police Department’s Captain, and a State Senator representing the 20th district in Brooklyn. This was a crucial aspect of why people voted him into office in January 2022 as the 110th mayor of NYC. This indictment is significant because it marks the first time a current NYC mayor has been indicted with a federal crime.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Turkish Government illegally gave money and other valuable gifts (such as luxury plane tickets, meals, and hotel rooms) to the then mayor candidate Eric Adams’ campaign. They also alleged that the Mayor secretly solicited and accepted such donations again from Turkey. In exchange, Adams pressured the New York City’s Fire Department to approve the opening of the Turkish Consulate in Manhattan without an inspection. It is important to highlight that so far there has been no trial, only an indictment. This means that the DOJ (without the defense present) introduced charges to a grand jury and they ruled on whether the charges should be brought up in a trial. After the grand jury’s approval, the Federal Prosecutor, Damian Williams, wrote the charges in a 57-page indictment of five federal crimes as follows:

Count 1: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

Count 2: Wire fraud

Counts 3&4: Solicitation of campaign contribution by a foreign national (once when received from Turks and another from the city matching fund)

Count 5: Bribery

Eric Adams' defense claims that he is innocent and these accusations are politically motivated as he publicly complained about the migrants in New York City, specifically the costs and risks associated with the increasing migrant population. Adams wanted the federal government to give New York City money to help pay for housing, food, school, medical services, and other costs. Adams claims the treatment that was given to the Turkish Government was no different than other VIP treatments that are common throughout several different administrations.

Most legal experts have stated that the charges are serious and troubling for Adams. If the government can provide evidence that the money was exchanged for favors, the mayor may risk further charges and possible jail time as it involves a foreign government that isn't politically aligned with the US. One Georgetown University law professor asserted “‘Well, these charges are very serious. They are plain violations of federal election law if they prove to be true and upheld in court. … There has been evidence advanced by the prosecution suggesting that Adams was very much aware that these actions were improper and sought to cover his tracks and the tracks of his aides dealing with these entities.” Most experts agree that these charges can carry jail time if the mayor is convicted. On the other hand, favoring Adams, some scholars are claiming that the evidence that has been made public wasn't significant enough to indict the mayor of NYC.

Allegations like this affect not only the trust that the people have in the government but also the ability of the mayor to govern while he is being investigated. This event may also impact many other current events, most importantly the upcoming presidential election on November 5th. Eric Adams is a Democratic mayor in the biggest city in the country and so both parties, Republicans and Democrats, are doing their best to spin the story to benefit themselves and their campaigns. The trial date has not been set yet but the attorneys of the Mayor want the trials to be concluded before the June 2025 mayoral primary.

SOURCES:

New York Times

New York Post

DOJ

CNN

USA Today

ABC News

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