Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury in connection with a federal investigation, as the mayor defiantly claimed that he was being targeted by the federal government due to his outspoken stance on the city's migrant crisis. However, the details of the indictment remain sealed as of Wednesday night, insiders revealed, leaving its contents undisclosed.
This landmark indictment, marking the first for a sitting mayor of New York City, is expected to be made public on Thursday by US Attorney Damian Williams, according to the sources. The news was first reported by The New York Times. Adams is expected to surrender early next week, according to sources.
Federal Government Prosecutes Adams
News of the indictment surfaced just days after Diddy's federal arrest on sex-trafficking allegations, causing a post written by Adams, when he gave the rapper the key to the city last year, to resurface and go viral.
Adams, a former police captain who ran on a tough-on-crime platform, responded to The New York Times report with a video statement. In it, he promised to fight the charges while continuing to serve as mayor.
"It is now my belief that the federal government is attempting charge me with crimes," Adams said in the filmed statement, speaking while holed up inside a chaotic Gracie Mansion.
"If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies," he said, adding that he believes the impending indictment is a result of his position on the migrant crisis.
"But they will not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target. And a target I became," the Democrat said, nearly a year after federal agents confiscated his phones and iPad during the first of several raids.
"For months, leaks, rumors, have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty," he continued.
"Just this past week, they searched the home of our new police commissioner, looking for documents from 20 years ago.
"Enough," Adams said adamantly, citing how the raid came just one week after new commissioner Thomas G. Donlon replaced predecessor Edward Caban, who was forced to resign.
"I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit.
"If I'm charged, I know I am innocent," he said.
The Democrat made the statement nearly a year after federal agents seized his phones and iPad during the first of several raids.
Just the Beginning
At least three others are also expected to face charges, according to the New York Post but it was unable to immediately verify their identities. After news of the indictment broke, police placed barriers outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor's home, and pushed reporters away from the property.
The specific charges remain unclear but are believed to be linked to accusations that the Turkish government illegally funneled money into Adams' mayoral campaign in exchange for approval of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan, according to sources.
It's also unclear how this indictment is related to a series of September 4 raids that targeted several prominent members of Adams' administration, throwing City Hall into chaos for weeks as investigations into alleged corruption within the mayor's inner circle came to light.
Charges Still Unclear
By Wednesday morning, rumors had spread that a "senior" City Hall official was soon to be indicted, causing panic among staff throughout the day, insiders revealed.
The indictment's unveiling follows recent demands from federal prosecutors for City Hall to turn over all communications between the Adams administration and Turkey, along with five other foreign nations, as part of the ongoing investigation.
Sources told The New York Post that Adams' 2021 campaign had previously received subpoenas requesting information on its campaign donations, particularly those linked to Turkey.
In July, a wide-ranging set of subpoenas followed, asking for records of all interactions between administration officials and five other countries: Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan, according to the sources.
In the same month, Adams, his City Hall team, and his election committee were served with grand jury subpoenas, leading the feds to acquire text messages, documents, and various other communications and materials.
Adams has been outspoken about the Biden administration's lenient immigration policies, particularly as New York City has been flooded with more than 250,000 migrants since 2022. He has accused the federal government of abandoning the city to handle the crisis on its own.
"The national government has turned its back on New York City," he said early 2023.
The explosive indictment is set to drop amidst a wave of federal investigations focusing on City Hall and New York City officials that were revealed following a series of shocking raids targeting the mayor's top deputies, key political allies, and most trusted aides.
