New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted, sources say : NPR

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on a federal criminal complaint, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The indictment detailing the charges against Adams, a Democrat, was still under seal late Wednesday, according to the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment. The indictment was first reported by The New York Times.

“I knew that standing up for the people of New York would make me a target, and I have been,” Adams said in a statement, suggesting he had not been informed of the charges. “If charged, I am innocent and will fight them with all my heart and soul.”

It was not immediately clear when the charges would be made public or when Adams would be required to appear in court.

The indictment marks a shocking downfall for Adams, a former police chief who was elected nearly three years ago as the second black mayor of the nation’s largest city on a platform of law-and-order policies to reduce crime.

Adams has faced mounting legal peril for much of the last year, with multiple federal investigations into his top advisers leading to subpoenas, searches and a wave of senior resignations that has plunged City Hall into crisis.

The president has repeatedly said he is unaware of any wrongdoing and vowed Wednesday afternoon to remain in his job.

Adams would be the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office, and if he resigns, he will be replaced by city public defender Jumaane Williams, who would then call a special election.

Gov. Kathy Hokell has the power to fire Adams. Hokell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.

Hours before the charges were announced, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Mayor Adams to resign, becoming the first nationally prominent Democrat to do so, citing a federal criminal investigation into his administration and a series of unexpected resignations by top city officials.

“I don’t know how Mayor Adams can continue to govern New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on the social platform X.

Adams responded with disdain, dismissing Ocasio-Cortez as self-righteous.

The federal investigation into the Adams administration first became public on Nov. 2, 2023, when FBI agents conducted an early morning search of the Brooklyn home of Adams’ fundraising chief, Brianna Suggs.

Adams maintained at the time that he followed the law and said he would be “shocked” if anyone working for his campaign had engaged in illegal conduct. “I can’t tell you how much I tell my team at the start of the day that they have to follow the law,” he told reporters at the time.

A few days later, FBI agents seized the mayor’s phone and iPad as he left a Manhattan event, and the transactions were made public by the mayor’s lawyers days later.

Then on September 4, federal agents seized electronic devices from the city’s police chief, superintendent, deputy mayor for public safety, first deputy mayor and other top aides to Adams both inside and outside City Hall.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the investigation, but people familiar with the matter described several separate investigations into senior aides to Adams and their relatives, campaign fundraising and possible attempts to influence police and fire departments.

A week after the search, Police Commissioner Edward Cabán announced his resignation, telling officers he didn’t want the investigation to “cause confusion.” About two weeks later, Superintendent David Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year.

Adams himself maintained he would continue to serve the city and wait for the investigation to be completed.

Federal prosecutors sent subpoenas over the summer to Adams, his campaign organization and City Hall, requesting information about the mayor’s schedule, international travel and potential ties to the Turkish government.

Before entering politics, Adams served in the New York City Police Department for 22 years, first as a state senator and then in the largely ceremonial role of Brooklyn borough chief.

He was elected mayor in 2021, defeating a diverse field of Democratic candidates in the primary and then handily defeating Republican Guardian Angels founder Curtis Suriawa in the general election.

Adams’ popularity has waned in the two years since he took office, and while the city has seen job growth and certain crime rates fall, city officials are struggling to house tens of thousands of international immigrants who have overflowed the city’s homeless shelters.

Accusations and suspicions continue to swirl about people close to the mayor.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office charged six people, including a former police chief who was a longtime ally of Adams, with a scheme to allegedly manipulate public funding programs and divert tens of thousands of dollars to his mayoral campaign in hopes of receiving preferential treatment from the city. Adams has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case.

Mayor Adams’ former chief building safety officer, Eric Ulrich, was indicted last year for accepting $150,000 in bribes and inappropriate gifts in exchange for political favors, including visits with the mayor. Ulrich has pleaded not guilty and is contesting the charges.

In February, federal agents searched two properties owned by Winnie Greco, a close associate of Adams’ who raised thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the city’s Chinese American community and later became Adams’ Asian affairs director. Greco has not commented publicly about the FBI property searches and continues to work for the city.

When investigators seized electronic devices from Mr Cabán, the former police chief, in early September, they also visited the ex-police officer’s twin brother, James Cabán, who runs a nightlife consulting business.

Investigators also seized devices from the school’s superintendent, his brother Philip Banks, a former NYPD commissioner who is now deputy mayor for public safety, his brother Terrence Banks, who runs a consulting firm that promises to connect businesses with government officials, and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, David Banks’s live-in partner. All have denied any wrongdoing.

As the investigation swirled, federal authorities searched the home of newly appointed interim police chief Thomas Donlan and seized documents unrelated to police work. Donlan confirmed the search and said it involved materials he’d had for 20 years. He declined to discuss the nature of the investigation, but a person familiar with the probe said it involved classified documents from Donlan’s time with the FBI. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.