New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in a five-count criminal indictment unsealed on Thursday, becoming the city's first sitting mayor to face criminal charges.
The counts include bribery, wire fraud, two counts of soliciting contributions by foreign nationals, and conspiracy to commit each of those crimes, covering alleged misconduct over nearly a decade. Adams, 64, could face up to 45 years in prison. He said he was innocent and pledged: "I will continue to do my job as mayor.
" The following are some accusations in the indictment, and have not been proven in court: In one example in the indictment, Adams paid less than US$600 combined to spend four nights in 2017 and 2019 in suites at the St. Regis Istanbul hotel that should have cost US$10,000. Adams did not disclose the travel benefits in his annual financial disclosures.
He was accused of sometimes instructing others to create fake paper trails to suggest he paid for or planned to pay for them. Pressure began after the Turkish diplomat told Adams' staffer that because Turkey had supported Adams, it was "his turn" to support Turkey. The staffer relayed this message to Adams, who responded "I know.
" Adams later told the fire commissioner the city should let Turkey occupy the consulate though the country's officials "know they have some issues." The commissioner responded: "We will get on it tomorrow," and through his staffer Adams assured the diplomat: "I am on top of this." Soon aft.
