New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) responded to a recent indictment from a grand jury as part of a federal investigation, noting that the charges against him would be “entirely false.”
“My fellow New Yorkers, it is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes,” Adams said in a video. “If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies. But, they would not be surprising.”
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target,” Adams added. “And, a target I became. For months, leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty.”
While the indictment remains sealed, the federal probe against Adams has been centered around whether “Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations,” according to the New York Times.
“Just this past week, they searched the home of our new police commissioner, looking for documents from twenty years ago, just one week after he joined my administration,” Adams added. “Enough. I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit. If I’m charged, I know I’m innocent.”
The indictment against Adams comes as he has faced calls to resign from office as a wave of officials in his administration have resigned and faced investigations and raids. Among the Democrats calling for Adams to resign are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), New York City Assembly member Emily Gallagher, and New York City Councilmember Tiffany Caban.
In November, the home of Brianna Suggs, a former senior campaign fundraiser for Adams, was raided, according to Politico.
The home of Rana Abbasova, who had worked as an international affairs aide for Adams, was also raided, according to the New York Times:
The coordinated raids were the first public sign of a broad corruption investigation into the mayor’s 2021 campaign. As part of the inquiry, the F.B.I. and federal prosecutors in Manhattan are examining whether the Turkish government conspired with Mr. Adams’s campaign to funnel foreign donations into campaign coffers and whether Mr. Adams pressured Fire Department officials to sign off on a new high-rise Turkish consulate despite safety concerns.
Former New York City police commissioner Edward Caban was among the officials in the Adams administration to resign after a federal investigation was launched into the New York Police Department’s enforcement of nightclubs.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted raids at the beginning of September on the homes of New York City Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Philip Banks and New York City First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.
Most recently, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan and New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks revealed that they would be resigning from their roles.
New York City interim police commissioner Thomas G. Donlon, who replaced Caban, also faced a raid from federal agents who reportedly “seized documents” from 20 years ago, according to the New York Times.