A federal indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) is expected to soon be unsealed, after investigations intensified around his administration in recent months. In a video message Wednesday night, he said any federal charges would be \u201centirely false,\u201d and vowed to stay in office.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what we know about the 110th mayor of America\u2019s largest city and the indictment against him in Manhattan federal court.<\/p>\n
Adams was elected Mayor of New York in 2021. A retired police captain, he ran as an advocate for the working class, with a focus on stamping out crime. The city\u2019s second Black mayor, Adams grew up in Brooklyn and Queens and struggled with poverty and police harassment in his youth, according to his official biography. He subsequently joined the New York Police Department \u201cand became one of its most outspoken officers, calling out racism and bias in the department and pushing for major reforms,\u201d it said.<\/span> In recent weeks, Adams\u2019s administration has seen a flurry of high-profile resignations, among them Lisa Zornberg, Adams\u2019s top legal counsel, who stood down abruptly this month, as well as the head of New York City\u2019s public schools system, David Banks, who announced that he would retire at the end of the year.<\/p>\n Adams\u2019s former police commissioner Edward Caban, whose devices were collected by federal authorities for examination and his home searched by investigators, also stepped down this month.<\/p>\n Adams and his team have denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n Previously, Adams\u2019s phones were seized last year by federal agents who were looking for potential improper ties between his campaign and the Turkish government, The Post reported. An Adams campaign worker, Brianna Suggs, had her Brooklyn home searched around that time and agents seized smartphones, computers and a folder labeled \u201cEric Adams,\u201d according to the Times, though Suggs was not accused of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n The investigation focused in part on whether Adams pushed the New York Fire Department to green-light the opening of a new Turkish consulate near the United Nations headquarters despite safety concerns relating to the building, the Times reported.<\/p>\n The investigation has cast doubt on Adams\u2019s ability to win reelection as his party prepares for a primary in June.<\/p>\n Adam issued a video message late Wednesday outlining his innocence and pledging to remain in office.<\/p>\n \u201cI always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target,\u201d he said, dismissing possible charges as false and \u201cbased on lies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor months, leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty,\u201d he said. \u201cEnough. I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit. If I\u2019m charged, I know I am innocent. I will request an immediate trial so New Yorkers can hear the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has so far been the most prominent Democratic voice calling for Adams to resign.<\/p>\n \u201cI do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,\u201d she wrote on X, noting that a \u201cflood of resignations\u201d were threatening government function.<\/p>\n \u201cNonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration,\u201d she said. \u201cFor the good of the city, he should resign.\u201d<\/p>\n New York Comptroller Brad Lander (D), who is second in line behind the city\u2019s public advocate to take over for Adams if he resigns or is removed from office, and who has announced his intentions to run for mayor in 2025, called it a \u201csad day for New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is clear that defending himself against serious federal charges will require a significant amount of the time and attention needed to govern this great city,\u201d Lander said of Adams. \u201cThe most appropriate path forward is for him to step down so that New York City can get the full focus its leadership demands.\u201d<\/p>\n Adams in his video Wednesday made clear that he would not stand down. \u201cIf I am charged, many may say I should resign because I cannot manage the city while fighting the case \u2026 but I have been facing these lies for months,\u201d he said. \u201cMake no mistake, you elected me to lead this city, and lead it I will.\u201d<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not clear whether his position is tenable.<\/p>\n If he chooses to resign or if he is removed from office by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), the city\u2019s public advocate, Jumaane D. Williams, will take over until a special election is held. William Gerlich, a spokesman for Williams, said in a statement that news of the indictment was \u201cincredibly serious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs the facts emerge, the Public Advocate will have more to say to the people of New York City, and right now, he is focused on how best to ensure that New Yorkers can regain trust, confidence and stability in city government,\u201d Gerlich said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A federal indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) is expected to soon be unsealed, after investigations intensified around his administration in recent months. In a video message Wednesday night, he said any federal charges would be \u201centirely false,\u201d and vowed to stay in office. Here\u2019s what we know about the 110th mayor of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":10178,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstriumphs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nFederal prosecutors in New York have obtained an indictment against Adams, a person familiar with the investigation told The Post on Wednesday. An indictment is a document approved by a grand jury that formally spells out a charge or charges against someone before they can be prosecuted. The New York Times reported that the charges against Adams, which have not been made public, are tied to a corruption investigation that began in 2021.<\/span>
\nReports that an indictment was coming emerged as investigations have intensified around the Adams administration in recent months. Allies had their phones seized and homes searched, and several have resigned. But aspects of the apparently wide-ranging probe are still unclear.<\/span>
\nAdams has denied the anticipated charges and pledged to continue leading New York as the investigation unfolds.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat problems have plagued his administration?<\/h3>\n
What has the reaction been so far?<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s going to happen next?<\/h3>\n