Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on five federal public corruption charges on September 26, sending a shockwave throughout New York City.
Federal prosecutors hit the NYC politician, with charges that included bribery, fraud, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and more, per the 57-page legal document.
FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy referred to the moment as “sobering” during the indictment press conference. He went on to say that it was a needed warning to public officials nationwide.
“Today’s indictment serves as a sobering moment but also sends a powerful message to every elected official in this country: public service is a profound responsibility, and it should be a noble calling. When that’s perverted by greed and dishonesty, it robs us of our trust. This is a reminder that no one is above the law or beyond reproach.”
With the turn of events, Adams became the first sitting mayor in New York City to be indicted while still holding office.
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There have been several calls from members of New York’s city council and Democratic US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes for the mayor to resign.
However, Adams has vowed to fight the charges and called for an “immediate” trial.
If he does resign, NYC’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, would be the one to replace the mayor but before we even get there, let’s take a look at the shocking claims against the once-belated mayor.
What Is Eric Adams Accused Of?
Mayor Eric Adams is facing five separate criminal counts, including “conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals,” wire fraud, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, and bribery.
According to federal prosecutors in the 57-page indictment document, Eric Adams is accused of using his proximity to New York City’s politics and then his seat as a government official to receive illegal campaign contributions.
As for those illegal contributions, the feds have accused Adams of receiving funds and luxury gifts amounting to more than $100,000, which include luxury travel, hotel stays, lavish meals, and airline upgrades, for over a decade from an unnamed Turkish official.
Turkey isn’t the only country involved in the gifting scandal.
Federal prosecutors claimed that Adams had been given trips from Turkish officials to countries worldwide, such as China, Sri Lanka, Hungary, India, and France, and then back to New York at various times throughout 2017.
Prosecutors claim that Adams attempted to conceal his gifted travels to these countries by choosing to “not disclose any of these trips on his annual disclosure forms, despite a legal requirement to do so.”
At other times, Adams would agree to “pay a nominal fee” to make it appear like he was paying for these trips.
Various incidents found the mayor commanding staffers to “create fake paper trails” to falsely indicate that he had paid for all of his travel expenses and benefits.
Stolen Public Funds
Federal prosecutors claim that Adam’s tactics were allegedly used to “defeat” established U.S. laws that had been installed to prevent foreign contributions.
By bypassing laws, Adams is accused of using the straw contributions to “defraud New York City and steal public funds” from taxpayers.
NYC is known for its Matching Funds Program, which was established to help give residents a “greater voice in elections.”
The program “matches small contributions from NYC residents, allowing candidates who participate to receive up to $2,000 in public funds per eligible contributor,” as per The New York City Finance Board.
Federal prosecutors claim that Adams and his staffers applied for the program based on Turkish straw donations.
As a result, the feds claim that Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign had stolen $10,000 in public funding.
As per the United States Attorney’s Office, Eric Adams faces a maximum of 45 years in prison with all charges considered.
