NEW YORK: New York's scandal-plagued Mayor Eric Adams was charged Thursday with wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and bribery conspiracy — stunning charges that fueled calls for him to resign.
The grand jury indictment follows a sweeping probe into the mayor's conduct and whether he conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal contributions in return for favorable treatment.
A defiant Adams told reporters that he looked "forward to defending" himself, and he dismissed demands to step down, urging New Yorkers to "wait to hear our side of the story."
But US District Attorney Damian Williams, whose federal office is bringing the charges, said the mayor was "secretly being showered" with gifts for years, breezing past "bright red lines."
"The conduct alleged in the indictment — the foreign money, the corporate money, the years of concealment — is a grave breach of the public's trust," Williams told journalists.
He said the investigation is ongoing: "We will hold more people accountable."
The 57-page document accuses the mayor of the most populous city in the United States of crimes going back a decade, when Adams took office as Brooklyn's borough president.
He accepted luxury international flights, hotel suites and free high-end restaurant meals including from at least one Turkish government official, the charges allege.
As he began planning to run for mayor in 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," according to the court documents.
"As Adams's prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash in on their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when, in 2021, it became clear" he would become mayor, reads the indictment.
"Adams agreed, providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received."
In one example, prosecutors say Adams pressured the city's fire department to approve Turkey's new high-rise consulate in Manhattan despite safety concerns.
Scandal has swirled around Adams for months with several high-ranking allies resigning as others were indicted or raided by federal agents.
The drama escalated with a pre-dawn raid of his official residence early Thursday.
Adams, who is up for reelection in 2025, had sought to brush off the mushrooming investigations.
But many city and state officials are demanding he resign, including on Wednesday when influential New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said he must step down "for the good of the city."
