The government’s 57-page, five-count accusation is the first time ever that a Mayor of New York City has been charged while they are still in office.
Adams faces charges of planning to commit wire fraud, bribery, and solicitation of a donation by a foreign national. If found guilty on all counts, Adams could spend 45 years in jail.
On September 26, the DOJ searched the mayor’s home after months of searching the homes of top City Hall officials, seizing phones, and serving orders to the mayor’s top advisors and the NYPD commissioner.
Adams stated that he will fight the numerous federal criminal charges brought against him, which he strongly rejects. There are currently many criminal investigations going on in his government.
Adams was the only mayor of a big American city who spoke out about the migrant problem. He was a Democrat and used to work with the Biden administration.
There are claims that the mayor of New York got campaign donations and other benefits from people from other countries in return for favors, such as pushing city officials to accept the opening of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan while he was Brooklyn Borough President in 2014.
Another, much more serious charge against Adams is that he stole $10 million in campaign funds. He denied knowing anything about this.
Adams made a video statement from his Gracie Mansion home hours before the FBI raided it. In it, he said, “If I am charged, know that I am innocent. So that people in New York can hear the truth, I will ask for a hearing right away.”
“I put the people of New York before party and politics when the federal government did nothing and its broken immigration policies piled up in our shelter system with no help.”
“If I’m charged, many people might say I should step down because I can’t run the city and fight the case at the same time. I can also see why regular New Yorkers would worry that I can’t do my job while I’m being charged,” Adams said.
