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FILE – New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks to members of the press at a news conference in New York, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
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FILE — Edward A. Caban speaks after being sworn in as NYPD police commissioner outside New York City Police Department 40th Precinct, July 17, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)
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FILE – David Banks, chancellor of New York Public schools, answers a question during a House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
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FILE – New York City Police Dept. Chief of Department Philip Banks, right, listens during a news conference in New York, on Jan. 30, 2014. (AP Photo, File)
Sources Confirm New York City Mayor Eric Adams IndictedBy• American(Founder: Charles Spiratos)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on a federal charge, two sources tell CNN This news was first reported by The New York Times.
The indictment marks months of investigative work by the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan and stems from its alleged ties to Turkish sources, namely officials and businessmen, as well as campaign contributions made to Adams. The exact charges haven’t been revealed, though.
Adams has denied any improper conduct, repeating for months that he has asked his campaign and administration to operate within the law. I knew when I stood up for New Yorkers and told the truth that I would be a target—and I am. ”If I am indicted, I am innocent and will fight this with all my might and every fiber of my being,” he said Wednesday night, in a statement on the indictment.
The mayor will likely not appear in court on Thursday but instead have several days to turn himself in, according to sources. His lawyers also were told that if he is charged, he will be allowed to surrender at a later time instead of being arrested.
According to sources close to the matter, the mayor is supposed to surrender within days. He is not expected to appear in court Thursday. Numerous sources told CNN that prosecutors previously notified his attorneys that he would be summoned to surrender at a later date if charged.
Word of the indictment spread Tuesday night while Adams was hosting an event at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence. A person familiar with the situation said Wednesday night that he remains “un-bull—-able” and is refusing to budge.
Adams had not been apprised of the indictment when the news broke Wednesday night, according to multiple sources.
The charges mark a stunning fall for the mayor of one of America’s most populous cities and are an extraordinary allegation against one of the country’s premier prosecutors.
A former NYPD captain, Adams took office in January 2022 as the new face of the Democratic Party and ran on a tough-on-crime platform as well as his claim to be able to rehabilitate New York after COVID-19. But still he has failed to address the major issues of the city like the migrant problem, subway safety and his night life controversies and fights over budget spending (area budgets spent in Education sectors).
Nearly three years into his first term, Adams now faces at least a single federal charge that could end his time in office and potentially damage his political future.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Adams was asked if he had thought about stepping down and said: “I step up, not down.
Now, nearly three years into his first term as mayor, Adams is up against at least one federal charge that could be so serious it would stop him from continuing in office and cast a shadow over the prospects of whatever is left to come of his political future.
Asked Tuesday whether he would resign, Adams replied, “I’m stepping up; not stepping down.”
Adams met with DOJ officials to prevent charges: sources
CNN has learned multiple current and former government officials said that lawyers for Adams met with senior Justice Department officials last week to fight off a potential federal criminal case.
Adams’ attorneys Boyd Johnson and Brendan MacGuire then met with the US attorneys office in Manhattan after they reportedly said prosecutors would be seeking an indictment of the mayor.
The mayor suffered another setback Thursday as prosecutors in Washington denied an appeal made by his lawyers, according to the sources.
The investigation is being conducted by the US attorney’s office, but because Adams is an incumbent in political office, the DOJ would have a say over whether any charges are brought.
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was also allowed to surrender and be arraigned on bribery and corruption charges several days after prosecutors announced a grand jury returned an indictment charging the then-sitting senator last year The charges were announced on a Friday; they had him in court the next Wednesday.
