New York City Democrat Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on multiple federal corruption charges in an indictment that was unsealed on Thursday.
Adams, whose residence was raided on Thursday morning, was indicted on 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 Bribery, and two counts of Solicitation of a Contribution by a Foreign National.
The indictment says that Adams began soliciting and accepting improper benefits as a public official dating back to 2014, including luxury international travel from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.
Adams “not only accepted, but sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals,” the indictment said.
Prosecutors said that those who had illegally donated to Adams’ campaign sought to cash in on their investment and were rewarded with “favorable treatment.”
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Adams “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,” the indictment said.
He allegedly compounded his corrupt gains by using them to defraud the city and steal from public funds.
“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,” the indictment said. “Adam’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 sought and received improper benefits from some of the foreigners who were illegally funding his campaign, court documents alleged, including paying for numerous luxury travel benefits that totaled $100,000.
The mayor “and others working at his direction, repeatedly took steps to shield his solicitation and acceptance of these benefits from public scrutiny,” the indictment said. “Adams did not disclose the travel benefits he had obtained in annual financial disclosures he was required to file as a New York City employee. Sometimes, Adams agreed to pay a nominal fee to create the appearance of having paid for travel that was in fact heavily discounted. Other times, Adams created and instructed others to create fake paper trails, falsely suggesting that he had paid.”
One of the Turkish officials who gave to Adams told him in September 2021 that it was his turn to repay the illegal donations he received by “pressuring the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to facilitate the opening of a new Turkish consular building – a 36-story skyscraper – without a fire inspection, in time for a high-profile visit by Turkey’s president.”
“At the time, the building would have failed an FDNY inspection,” the indictment said. “In exchange for free travel and other travel-related bribes in 2021 and 2022 arranged by the Turkish Official, Adams did as instructed. Because of Adams’s pressure on the FDNY, the FDNY official responsible for the FDNY’s assessment of the skyscraper’s fire safety was told that he would lose his job if he failed to acquiesce, and, after ADAMS intervened, the skyscraper opened as requested by the Turkish Official.”
If convicted on all charges, Adams faces up to 45 years in prison.
