On September 27, 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrived at federal court in Manhattan to face charges after federal prosecutors announced a five-count indictment on fraud, bribery, and corruption charges. The charges were unsealed on Thursday, revealing accusations against Adams of soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign entities and falsifying paper trails to cover it up.
According to a 57-page indictment, the mayor is alleged to have defrauded taxpayers for $10 million over the past decade. He is also accused of frequently accepting free or steeply discounted vacations, funded by his foreign benefactors. The FBI had seized Adams' phone on Thursday before the charges were made public, but he was not immediately taken into custody.
Adams, however, vehemently denied the allegations in a video statement. He claimed that the accusations were "entirely false, based on lies," and suggested that his criticism of the federal government's immigration policies made him a target for retaliation.
"I put the people of New York before party and politics," Adams stated in his video message.
During a subsequent news briefing, investigators rejected the assertion that the case was a form of political retaliation.
Later, Adams held a news conference with a group of supporters, calling for due process to be allowed to take its course. The gathering was disrupted by hecklers who challenged Adams' policies and conduct.
The mayor is accused of one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and commit wire fraud and bribery, one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe. If convicted of all charges, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison.
In the past, Adams has faced criticism for policies that have led to a rise in illegal police stops, which have disproportionately targeted Black and brown men. Some critics argue that his policies around incarceration and homelessness criminalize poor Black people. These issues have added to the public scrutiny around Adams' indictment.
This remains a developing story, with further updates to be expected as the legal process unfolds.