NY Mayor Eric Adams accused of wire fraud, bribery

NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing up to 45 years in prison for federal public corruption charges, revealed a 57-page indictment on Thursday.

The current NY mayor and former police officer is facing a multitude of criminal offences including wire fraud, bribery, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.

Ironically, Adams’ platform was centred around a tough on crime approach. Now, he is being accused of accepting “improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign business people and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him,” according to the indictment.

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The documents allege that his illegal actions began as far back as 2014.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Adams received illegal campaign contributions in the lead up to his 2021 mayoral bid. Despite the ban on corporate contributions in NY, businesses used their employees to make donations.

Adams also allegedly received discounted travel on Turkish airlines and free rooms at high end hotels, as well as “luxurious entertainment” during his stay in Turkey. This led to Adams pressuring the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in 2021 to approve a new Turkish consular building without the required fire inspection, after being pressured himself by a Turkish official to “repay” him.

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Eric Adams denies any wrongdoing and has rejected calls for his resignation. “I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defence before making any judgements,” said Adams on Thursday.

According to Adam’s attorney, Alex Spiro, his defence is that the “improper valuable benefits” he received were in 2017, five years before he became mayor, and one year before he announced his intention to run. In regards to the flights, Spiro said “those were upgrades on airlines with open seats.”

Adams is set to have his first court appearance at noon on Friday before Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker.

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