Mayor Eric Adams was criminally charged on multiple counts of bribery, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and wire fraud in a historic Thursday indictment , making him the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted. Brooklynites were quick to react to the news, which cast serious doubt on the political future of Kings County’s former borough president. The 57-page indictment, brought by Manhattan U.
S. Attorney Damian Williams, outlines a scheme allegedly dating back nearly a decade. Prosecutors claim Adams solicited and accepted illegal campaign donations from the Turkish government, in exchange for helping fast-track approvals for a Turkish consulate building in Midtown Manhattan.
Adams is also accused of hiding these foreign contributions through straw donations, which he used to obtain $10 million in public matching funds during his 2021 mayoral campaign. Additionally, the indictment alleges Adams accepted over $100,000 in luxury gifts and travel upgrades from Turkish businessmen and officials without disclosing them. “The accusations made against Mayor Eric Adams are serious, substantial, and pervasive,” Adams’ successor, Borough President Antonio Reynoso, said in a statement Thursday morning.
“He’s going to need to put every ounce of his being into protecting himself from these charges at a time when every ounce of his being should be going to the protection of the people of New York City. The Mayor cannot lead this city, nor can he in good f.