According to US media outlets, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with corruption in connection with many investigations of his administration.
Due to the indictment’s seal, the charge or charges against Adams, one of the world’s most prominent city leaders, were not immediately known late on Wednesday.
The New York Times, citing people with knowledge of the matter, reported that federal investigators were focused on whether Adams and his campaign conspired with Turkey to receive illegal foreign donations.
Adams has touted his ties with the Turkish community in New York and spoken of visiting Turkey multiple times, as well as meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan while he served as Brooklyn borough president.In a video released on Wednesday night, Adams denied wrongdoing
“My fellow New Yorkers, it is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with federal crimes. If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies,” he said
However, there would be no surprises. I’ve always known that I’d become a target if I stood up for all of you. And I turned into a target. Requests for comment from Adams’ attorneys were not immediately answered.
The indictment follows the FBI’s November seizure of Adams’s personal devices during a dramatic street scene in New York City where investigators confronted the mayor and his security detail.