New York City’s mayor has found himself in legal hot water.
Eric Adams, who has been serving as mayor of the Big Apple since 2022, has been hit with five federal charges, as seen in an indictment obtained by NBC News including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals, one count of wire fraud, one count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, one count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and one count of bribery.
According to the 57-page federal indictment, which was unsealed on Sept. 26, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York allege that Adams sought and accepted luxury international travel from wealthy businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official for almost 10 years in exchange for official favors.
The documents further allege that by 2018, Adams “not only accepted, but sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals.”
And as the now-Mayor’s “prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash in on their corrupt relationships with him,” the documents continue, noting that when it became clear Adams would be elected Mayor, he allegedly agreed to “providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received.”
The indictment alleges Adams began preparing to further solicit illegal contributions for his next election after being inaugurated as Mayor.
Per the indictment, many of the allegations of bribery involve ties to Turkey. For instance, the document alleges that in 2017 when he was the Brooklyn Borough President, Adams accepted a largely discounted stay at the St. Regis Istanbul, a luxury hotel owned by a businesswoman who "sought to ingratiate herself with Adams.”
While the two-night stay would have normally cost the politician around $7,000, Adams allegedly paid about $600 while not disclosing the trip—something he was required to do as an elected official.
During the almost decade-long period in question, the indictment alleges Adams accepted more than $100,000 in free or discounted travel on Turkey's national airline, free meals at high-end restaurants in Turkey and free "luxurious entertainment.”
Prosecutors also claim Adams attempted to hide his misconduct by keeping fake paper trails and deleting messages, even allegedly assuring one co-conspirator in writing that he "always" deleted her messages.
Among the favors Adams allegedly granted during his tenure as Mayor involved allowing a new Turkish consular building to open without a fire inspection from the New York Fire Department in time for a visit from Turkey’s President. According to the document, the building would have failed the inspection, but the FDNY official responsible for inspection “was told that he would lose his job if he failed to acquiesce.”
According to prosecutors, the building opened after Adams’ intervention.
In addition to travel and entertainment perks, the indictment claims Adams also received illegal campaign contributions from foreign donors, including a Turkish government official.
E! News has reached out to Adams’ office for comment but has not yet heard back.
During a news conference the same day the indictment was unsealed, U.S Attorney Damian Williams said, per NBC News, of Adams, “Year after year after year, he kept the public in the dark. He told the public he received no gifts, even though he was secretly being showered with them."
But according to Adams himself, who spoke at a press conference shortly after the indictment was made public, the Mayor said he is “not surprised” by the probes into his administration.
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target—and a target I became,” he shared during his statement. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
He added, “I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defense before making any judgments."
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli