New York mayor indicted on corruption charges, sources say

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on at least one federal criminal charge, the CNN several sources familiar with the matter.

The New York Times was the first to report the indictment.

The indictment follows a months-long federal investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which is reportedly examining his ties to Turkish officials and businesspeople and the campaign donations he has received. The charges he faces are not publicly known at this time.

Adams has denied any wrongdoing and has frequently repeated that he told members of his campaign and administration to follow the law.

“I always knew that if I stood up for New Yorkers, I would be a target — and a target I have become. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with all my strength and spirit,” Adams said, responding to the news on Wednesday night (25).

The mayor is expected to have several days to turn himself in, according to sources familiar with the case. He is not expected to appear in court on Thursday (26). Prosecutors previously told his lawyers that if he were charged, he would be ordered to surrender at a later date, several sources said. to CNN .

Adams was at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, when news of the indictment broke. He said he was undeterred and resolute in his behavior, according to a source familiar with the situation late Wednesday.

Adams had not been formally informed of the indictment when the news broke late Wednesday, multiple sources said. to CNN .

Prosecution is a bombshell in the largest city in the USA

Adams, a former NYPD captain, took office in January 2022 and has presented himself as the new face of the Democratic Party, promising a tough-on-crime approach and a commitment to revitalizing the city after the Covid-19 pandemic. But he has struggled to address major city challenges, including the migrant crisis and subway safety concerns, and has faced criticism for his late-night partying and clashes over city spending, especially on education.

Now, nearly three years into his first term, Adams faces at least one federal charge that jeopardizes his ability to remain in office and threatens the future of his political career.

When asked Tuesday if he was considering resigning, Adams said, “I’m moving forward, not resigning.”

Lawyers try to block the accusation

Adams’ lawyers met with senior Justice Department officials last week in an attempt to avoid federal criminal charges, they told CNN multiple sources familiar with the meeting.

The meeting between Adams’ attorneys, Boyd Johnson and Brendan MacGuire, came after they met with the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan and were told prosecutors planned to seek an indictment of the mayor, the sources said.

Prosecutors in Washington have informed the mayor’s lawyers that his appeal has been denied, the sources said.

The U.S. attorney’s office is leading the investigation, but because Adams is a sitting politician, the Justice Department would be involved in any decision to bring charges.

Legal problems increased in September

The mayor’s legal troubles escalated in September when key members of his city hall staff, including two deputy mayors, a senior adviser and the schools chancellor, were served search warrants and had their phones seized by federal investigators.

Edward Caban, a former New York Police Department commissioner, also had his phone seized as part of a separate federal investigation and was forced to resign. Days later, Lisa Zornberg, the city’s top lawyer and one of Adams’s most vocal defenders, abruptly resigned.

In a brief, two-sentence resignation letter, Zornberg said he had concluded he “could no longer serve effectively” in his role. A week later, Schools Chancellor David Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year, stepping down as leader of the nation’s largest public school system just days after his home was raided by federal investigators who seized his cellphones during the execution of a federal search warrant.

The first sign of trouble for Adams came nearly a year ago, when federal investigators zeroed in on his top campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and executed a search warrant at her home, multiple law enforcement officials said previously. to CNN . Suggs has not been charged with any crime.

Investigators from the FBI’s public corruption squad seized phones, computers, tablets and files from Suggs, sources said. Agents also executed several search warrants at other homes and businesses throughout the New York area in connection with the investigation, authorities said.

One of the companies searched in November 2023 was KSK Construction Group in Brooklyn, authorities said. The construction and development company has built apartments and condominiums throughout the city.

An analysis of the CNN campaign finance records identified at least 11 KSK Construction Group employees who donated a total of $13,950, with individual contributions ranging from $1,200 to $1,500, all on the same day, to Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. CNN has reached out to donors for comment.

THE CNN also reached out to Erden Arkan, who is listed as the owner of KSK Construction Group and also as a donor to Adams’ campaign. New York City campaign finance records show that Arkan donated $1,500.

As part of the investigation, FBI agents seized Adams’ cellphones days after the raid on Suggs’ home.

After Adams gave a speech in Manhattan, FBI agents “walked up to him,” asked NYPD security to step aside and then climbed into Adams’ city-issued SUV, sources previously told CNN . That’s where agents served him with a warrant to seize his electronic devices, sources said.

The seizure marked a dramatic escalation in the federal investigation into whether foreign money was funneled to his campaign, taking the probe directly to the Democratic House speaker.

Adams has maintained his innocence throughout and insisted that he and his team followed the law despite the growing investigation.

The mayor touted his ties to the city’s Turkish-American community and said he had visited the country at least six or seven times.

Adams traveled to Turkey at least twice as Brooklyn Borough President. The Turkish Consulate paid for a trip in August 2015, during which he signed a sister city agreement with the Üsküdar district of Istanbul.

Adams is not required to resign in light of the indictment, though the political pressure could become untenable. If he were to resign, the job of America’s most prominent mayor would go to the city’s public defender, Jumaane Williams, until a special election is held.

This content was originally published in New York mayor indicted for corruption, sources say on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil