New York City mayor Eric Adams charged with bribery and fraud - as he vows to 'continue with the job'
26 September 2024, 16:11 | Updated: 26 September 2024, 16:35
New York City's mayor has been charged with taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals.
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Eric Adams "solicited and demanded" bribes, including free and heavily discounted luxury travel benefits from a Turkish official, according to an indictment filed by the US attorney's office in Manhattan.
According to the 57-page indictment filed by the US attorney's office in Manhattan, Eric Adams "solicited and demanded" bribes.
These included accepting free and heavily discounted luxury travel benefits from an unnamed Turkish official.
The US district court for the southern district of New York announced the federal indictment charges against Eric Adams on Thursday.
The charges make Adams the first mayor in the city's history to be charged with a criminal offence while in office.
According to the documents, Eric Adams asked by Turkish official to not make statements about Armenian genocide.
The charges follow an FBI raid on the Mayor's home on Saturday.
New York City's interim police commissioner revealed late on Saturday that federal authorities had executed search warrants at his homes.
The charges had not previously been revealed by US authorities, given the indictment had remained sealed.
Read more: New York City mayor Eric Adams indicted on federal charges
However, it's now been revealed that charges against Adams include conspiracy to commit fraud, federal bribery, receiving campaign contributions by foreign nationals, wire fraud, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, as well as bribery.
According to the documents, the Turkish official “repeatedly” asked Adams not to make any statements about the Armenian genocide during Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2022.
In a press conference held shortly after the indictment was unsealed, Mr Adams insisted he would not resign as mayor.
He asked New Yorkers "to wait to hear our defence before making any judgements".
"My day-to-day will not change," he said. "I will continue to do the job for 8.3 million New Yorkers that I was elected to do."
"And the 300,000-plus employees of our city's government will continue to do their jobs, because this is what we do as New Yorkers... This is an unfortunate day, and it's a painful day."
The 57-page document says: "Eric Adams, the defendant, sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions in the form of ‘nominee’ or ‘straw’ contributions, meaning that the true contributors conveyed their money through nominal donors, who falsely certified they were contributing their own money.
"By smuggling their contributions to Adams through US-based straw donors, Adams’ overseas contributors defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on US elections."
This is a developing story.
