Eric Adams, the New York City mayor, has been indicted following a federal corruption investigation, according to the New York Times.
It is still unclear what charges Adams, 64, will face. Once the indictment is released, he will be the first sitting New York City mayor to be criminally charged. Federal prosecutors are expected to layout the details of the charges Thursday, the newspaper reported.
The news comes as some of his closest aides and advisers have come under federal investigation as prosecutors in the city began examining his inner circle.
The development regarding Adams comes less than a month after federal agents raided the homes of high-ranking officials within Adams’ administration. Agents seized devices from the home of the New York police department commissioner.
The Adams administration could not be immediately reached for a comment.
Police set up barriers outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s home, according to the New York Post. The outlet reported that City Hall officials were aware Wednesday morning that Adams would soon be indicted, sending staff into a panic throughout the day.
The US attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target – and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement that implied he hadn’t been informed of the indictment. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
In a speech recorded at his official residence, Adams acknowledged that some New Yorkers would question his ability to manage the city while he fights the charges, but he vowed to stay in office.
“I have been facing these lies for months … yet the city has continued to improve,” Adams said. “Make no mistake. You elected me to lead this city and lead it I will.”
Federal investigations into his administration first emerged publicly on 2 November 2023 when FBI agents conducted an early morning raid on the Brooklyn home of Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.
At the time, Adams insisted he followed the law and said he would be “shocked” if anyone on his campaign had acted illegally. “I cannot tell you how much I start the day with telling my team we’ve got to follow the law,” he told reporters at the time.
Days later, FBI agents seized the mayor’s phones and iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan. The interaction was disclosed several days later by the mayor’s attorney.
Then, on 4 September, federal investigators seized electronic devices from the city’s police commissioner, schools chancellor, deputy mayor of public safety, first deputy mayor and other trusted confidantes of Adams both in and out of City Hall.
Federal prosecutors declined to discuss the investigations but people familiar with elements of the cases described multiple, separate inquiries involving senior Adams aides, relatives of those aides, campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling of the police and fire departments.
