New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke out during a Thursday press conference to address the federal indictment against him that was handed down on Wednesday.
Adams was defiant in the face of the allegations and indicated they would not affect his ability to carry out his duties as mayor.
He started by indicating that he had anticipated this development. “This is not surprising to us at all the actions that have unfolded over the last 10 months,” he said.
The mayor further stated that he looks forward “to defending myself and defending the people of this city as I’ve done throughout my entire professional career.”
Adams assured New Yorkers that he is still intent on running the city. “My day-to-day will not change. I would continue to do the job New Yorkers elected me to do.”
The mayor argued that “It’s an insult to the hard-working people of this city that anyone would say that they won’t do their job while this case proceeds in the background.”
Adams urged the public “to wait to hear our defense before making any judgments.”
Adams is facing multiple charges, as RedState’s Susie Moore laid out:
Thursday morning, the indictment against Adams was unsealed. The full 57-page document may be viewed below, but in sum, Adams is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Bribery, and to Receive Campaign Contributions by Foreign Nationals)
- Fraud by Wire, Radio, or Television
- Solicitation of a Contribution by a Foreign National
- Solicitation of a Contribution by a Foreign National
- Bribery
The crux of the allegations appears to reach back nearly a decade and stem from Adams’ involvement with Turkish nationals.
The indictment alleges that “For nearly a decade, Adams sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.”
The mayor allegedly “sought and accepted illegal ‘nominee’ or ‘straw’ contributions” and “defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on U.S. elections,” according to the indictment.
Mayor Adams has been a vocal critic of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies. As New York City has faced a massive influx of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants due to the border crisis, residents have dealt with the strain the issue has placed on their city. He even went so far as to say the federal government “has turned its back on New York City” and that blame for the crisis “is in the lap of the president of the United States.”
During a visit to El Paso, Texas, Adams issued a statement saying, “We are now seeing more people arrive than we have ever seen – averaging over 400 people each day this last week, with 835 asylum seekers arriving on one single day alone.”
