New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on criminal charges, sources said

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

The charges against Adams, a Democrat, remained unsealed 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 US attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment. The New York Times first reported on the case.

“I always knew that if I represented the people of New York that I would be a victim — and I have been,” Adams said in a statement that said he had not been notified of the lawsuit. “If I am accused, I am innocent and I will fight with all my strength and spirit.”

In a taped speech at his official residence, Adams acknowledged that some New Yorkers will question his ability to run the city while he battles the charges, but he vowed to stay in office.

“I’ve been dealing with this lie for months … and yet the city continues to improve,” Adams said. “Make no mistake. You chose me to lead this city and I will lead it.”

It was unclear when the charges would be made public and when Adams might appear in court.

The indictment marks a dramatic turnaround for Adams, a former police captain who won election nearly three years ago to become the second Black mayor of the nation’s largest city on a platform that promised a law-and-order approach to reducing crime.

An ongoing investigation

For much of the past year, Adams has faced a mounting legal crisis, with multiple federal investigations involving top advisers producing dozens of subpoenas, searches and high-profile departures that have embroiled City Hall.

He has repeatedly said he knows nothing wrong and vowed Wednesday afternoon to stay in office.

Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be impeached while in office. If he resigns, he will be replaced by the city’s public attorney, Jumane Williams, who will then schedule a special election.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office. Hochul’s office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday night.

Hours before the charges were announced, US Attorney Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Adams to resign. He cited a federal criminal investigation into the mayor’s administration and a series of unexpected departures of top city officials.

“I don’t see how Mayor Adams can continue to rule New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media X.

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

News of the investigation broke last year

The federal investigation into the Adams administration first became public on Nov. 2, 2023, when FBI agents raided the Brooklyn home of Adams’ top fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.

At that time, Adams insisted that he followed the law and said he would be shocked if someone in his campaign did something illegal. “I can’t tell you how much I start the day by telling my team that we have to follow the law,” he told reporters at the time.

Days later, FBI agents seized the mayor’s phones and iPad as he left an event in Manhattan. This connection was revealed a few days later by the mayor’s lawyer.

Then, on Sept. 4, federal investigators seized electronic devices from the city’s police commissioner, schools chancellor, deputy mayor for public safety, first deputy mayor and other Adams confidantes in and out of City Hall.

Federal prosecutors have declined to discuss the investigation but people familiar with parts of the case described multiple, separate inquiries involving top aides to Adams, relatives of those aides, campaign fundraising and possible influence sales to police and fire departments.

A week into the search, Police Commissioner Edward Caban announced his resignation, telling police he didn’t want the investigation to “cause a distraction.” About two weeks later, Schools Chancellor David Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year.

Adams, for his part, insisted he would continue to do city business and allow the investigation to continue.

Over the summer, federal prosecutors subpoenaed Adams, his campaign unit and City Hall, requesting information about the mayor’s schedule, his overseas travel and possible connections to the Turkish government.

Adams spent 22 years in the New York City police department before entering politics, first as a state senator and then as Brooklyn borough president, an official position.

He was elected mayor in 2021.

The mayor’s popularity declined

After more than two years in office, Adams’ reputation has declined. Although the city has seen an increase in jobs and a decrease in some categories of crime, officials have been busy trying to find housing for the tens of thousands of immigrants who have flocked to the city’s shelters.

There was also a trickle of allegations and the spread of suspicions from people close to the mayor.

The Manhattan District Attorney has indicted six people — including a former police captain who was close to Adams — in connection with an alleged scheme to funnel tens of thousands of dollars to the mayor’s campaign by defrauding public finance matching programs in hopes of getting preferential treatment. the city. Adams was not charged with wrongdoing in that case.

The former chief security officer at the Adams building, Eric Ulrich, was indicted last year for accepting $150,000 in bribes and improper gifts in exchange for political favors, including giving the mayor a favor. Ulrich has pleaded not guilty and is fighting the charges.

In February, federal investigators searched two residences of one of Adams’ aides, Winnie Greco, who had raised thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the Chinese-American urban community and later became his director of Asian affairs. Greco has not commented publicly on the FBI search of his properties and continues to work for the city.

When the agents seized electronic devices from Caban, the former police commissioner, in early September, they also visited his twin, James Caban, a former police officer who runs a nightlife consulting business.

Agents also took tools from the chancellor of schools; his brother Philip Banks, former NYPD chief and now deputy mayor for public safety; his brother Terence Banks, who owned a consulting firm that offered to connect businesses with government stakeholders; and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, who is the domestic partner of David Banks.

All have denied wrongdoing.