The indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams unsealed Thursday morning alleges he secretly solicited and accepted freebies and illegal campaign donations from wealthy foreigners, including Turkish officials, as far back as 2014. In exchange, he pressured the Fire Department of New York to approve the opening of a new Turkish consular building in the city without a fire inspection, the indictment states. In addition, his campaign used those illegal campaign donations to “steal public funds” through New York City’s matching funds, according to the indictment.
Those allegations represent the core of the federal indictment charging Adams with five counts: bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals. Adams, a Democrat elected in 2021, has denied wrongdoing and said he does not plan to resign. “I look forward to defending myself and defending the people of this city as I’ve done throughout my entire professional career,” Adams said.
CNN combed through the 57-page, 15,000-word indictment to understand some of its key points. In all, the indictment lays out what Adams allegedly received from and gave to foreign nationals, his efforts to conceal his conduct and the specific charges prosecutors hope to prove. For nearly a decade, Adams sought out and accepted benefits such as free luxury travel and campaign donations from foreign businessmen, the indictment alleges.
Between 2016 and October 2023, he all.