NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS INDICTED FOR ALLEGATIONS OF ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN DONATIONS

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday regarding alleged illegal donations from foreign governments, media outlets say.

Though the charges are unclear, federal prosecutors are expected to unseal the indictment on Thursday. The embattled mayor has been in the spotlight since the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office started an investigation based on the Turkish government allegedly funneling donations to Adams’ 2021 campaign chest.   

In November 2023, federal agents raided the mayor’s fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, at her Crown Heights brownstone townhome. Authorities searched the home for evidence linking Adams to a conspiracy between the Turkish government and a Brooklyn Construction firm called KSK Construction Group as conduits to funnel funds into the mayor’s campaign using straw donors.

Four days later, federal agents swooped on Adams after he left an event in Manhattan, seized his phones and iPad without incident, and claimed he had nothing to hide.

“As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation — and I will continue to do exactly that,” said Adams, according to AP.

Furthermore, the warrant covered the seizure of campaign documents, travel logs, and evidence of wire fraud, with Adams benefiting from free Turkish Airlines flights and upgrades. Recently, the mayor boasted about his relationship with the Turkish government at a flag-raising event for Turkey in Lower Manhattan. During the event, the mayor stated that no mayor in New York's history had visited Turkey as much as he had.

“I think I’m on my sixth or seventh visit,” said Adams, reported the New York Times.

The federal corruption investigations had a wide-reaching impact on the mayor’s circle and New York law enforcement officials. As a result, several of Adam’s top cabinet officials, such as NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg, Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, and Schools Chancellor David Banks, have resigned.