NYC Mayor Eric Adams pictured at a press conference announcing a theatrical roller disco at Central Park in May 2022 (Erik Nielsen/MediaPunch /IPX).
After NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) preempted the unsealing of details in his federal criminal indictment by claiming that he was being targeted for being a champion of New Yorkers, federal prosecutors have alleged that he stole $10 million in “public funds” in order to boost his then candidacy through the illicit solicitation of foreign campaign donations from “secret patrons” — and committed bribery and wire fraud offenses.
Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that starting in 2014, when Adams was Brooklyn Borough president, the defendant “sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish govermnent official seeking to gain influence over him,” and continued doing so through his 2021 campaign for mayor.
Federal authorities said that Adams knew that he needed to raise money to “win the race” for mayor and, to do so, “solicited and knowingly accepted straw donations from foreign sources, while continuing to secretly accept free and heavily discounted travel benefits” from a “Turkish Official,” an entrepreneur, and an airline manager.
After Adams’ campaign allegedly received these illicit foreign contributions, the mayor used them to “defraud New York City and steal public funds” to the tune of $10,000,000, prosecutors said.
“New York City has a matching funds program that matches small-dollar contributions from individual City residents with up to eight times their amount in public funds, to give New Yorkers a greater voice in elections,” prosecutors explained. “ADAMS’s campaigns applied for matching funds based on known straw donations, fraudulently obtaining as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution.”
“ADAMS and those working at his direction falsely certified compliance with applicable campaign finance regulations despite ADAMS’s repeated acceptance of straw donations, relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding,” the indictment continued. “As a result of those false certifications, ADAMS’s 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10,000,000 in public funds.”
Before Adams was even sworn in to office, he allegedly worked behind the scenes in 2021 on behalf of his Turkish benefactors to lean on the FDNY to “permit the Turkish Consulate to occupy a skyscraper that had not passed a fire safety inspection” in exchange for “luxury travel benefits[.]”
The indictment alleged that the aforementioned “Turkish Official” praised Adams for his efforts, telling him “You are a true friend of Turkey.”
As Law&Crime reported earlier Thursday, Adams, a former longtime NYPD officer, now joins the ranks of several high-profile Democrats to face federal charges under Biden administration U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s watch.
More Law&Crime coverage: NYC Mayor Eric Adams joins growing list of high-profile Democrats prosecuted by Merrick Garland’s DOJ
Adams, who has called the charges “entirely false” and “based on lies,” said Wednesday that he thinks he’s being persecuted for political reasons.
New videotaped statement from Mayor Eric Adams: “It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with federal crimes. If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies.” pic.twitter.com/7D94LsuSNC
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) September 26, 2024
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be targeted. And a target I became,” said Adams, the first sitting NYC mayor to face federal criminal charges.
Adams is represented by celebrity defense lawyer Alex Spiro, remembered for his advocacy on behalf of actor Alec Baldwin, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Elon Musk.
The judge in the case is Dale Ho, a prominent former ACLU lawyer appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023.
JUST IN: Garnett dropped from case. Reassigned to Judge Dale Ho, former ACLU voting rights lawyer nominated by Biden. Ho confirmed in June 2023. No explanation given for reassignment.
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) September 26, 2024
Read the indictment here.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
