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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on charges connected to a federal corruption investigation, making him the city's first chief executive to face a federal charge while in office.
The Mayor has claimed in a statement in the aftermath of the indictment that he is innocent and being targeted by the federal government because of speaking out against the migrant crisis in New York City, Knewz.com has learned.
It has been reported that the indictment came amidst increasing calls from the public over the past few weeks demanding his resignation. Mayor Adams is expected to turn himself in early next week.
The indictment is expected to be unsealed on Thursday, September 26, prior to which the exact allegations brought against the Mayor remain unclear.
However, it has been reported that the charges are believed to be connected to the Turkish government's alleged funding of Adams' mayoral campaign—reportedly in exchange for the approval of the Turkish Consulate in Manhattan.
Notably, his 2021 mayoral campaign was previously served subpoenas for information on its donations, according to reports.
The indictment results from an investigation carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and federal prosecutors since 2021.
One of the focuses of the federal corruption investigation was whether Mayor Adams pressured Fire Department officials "to sign off on the opening of a new high-rise consulate building for the Turkish government despite safety concerns," it has been reported.
"The investigators were also examining whether Mr. Adams accepted pricey flights and upgrades on Turkish Airlines, which is partly owned by the Turkish government," reports have further mentioned.
"And they sought information about a Brooklyn construction company run by Turkish Americans, and a small university in Washington, D.C., with Turkish ties."
The indictment is also expected to have named Winnie Greco, Mayor Adams' Director of Asian Affairs, and his top campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs, and is expected to charge three other individuals in addition to the New York City Mayor.
While Suggs has not been accused of any wrongdoing, it has been reported that federal investigators tossed her Brooklyn residence back in November 2023 and left with two laptop computers, three iPhones, and a manila folder labeled “Eric Adams.”
It is worth noting that the indictment came after federal prosecutors requested City Hall to reveal the correspondence between the Adams administration, Turkey, and five other foreign countries.
"Sprawling records requests then came in a July batch of subpoenas seeking details on all interactions between admin officials and Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan," it was reported by the New York Post, citing anonymous sources.
In a video statement released in the aftermath of the indictment, the New York City Mayor has claimed his innocence and stated that he is a "target."
He also vowed to “fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
"I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth. New Yorkers know my story. They know where I come from. I have been fighting injustice my entire life," Mayor Adams said in the video statement.
"That fight has continued as your mayor. Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics."
In an exclusive statement to the New York Post, he added:
"I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became... If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit."