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Charges are “entirely false, based on lies” – New York City Mayor Eric Adams vows to fight federal indictment on criminal charges

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;3a2b2b&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>57 page indictment unsealed Thursday&comma; hits Eric Adams with bribery conspiracy&comma; fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations<&sol;strong> <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;3a2b2b&semi;font-size&colon;14px"> <strong>New York City mayor was indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges&comma; after weeks of searches&comma; subpoenas and resignations of city department heads and top aides<&sol;strong> <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;3a2b2b&semi;font-size&colon;14px"> <strong>Latest development comes nearly a year after FBI agents seized electronic devices from mayor and top city officials in multiple federal inquiries involving his administration <&sol;strong> <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;3a2b2b&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Multiple separate inquiries involve senior Adams aides&comma; relatives of those aides&comma; campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling at the police and fire departments <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;3a2b2b&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Mayor Adams in a speech recorded at his official residence&comma; has said he would remain in office&comma; describing any charges he may face as &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;entirely false&comma; based on lies”<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;Eric-Adams-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469028"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>New York City Mayor Eric Adams &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; allegedly has been indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges&comma; after weeks of searches&comma; subpoenas and resignations of top officials <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">New York City Mayor Eric Adams&comma; has been indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges&comma; a extraordinary culmination to weeks of searches&comma; subpoenas and resignations of top officials&period; A flurry of developments that has thrust the city’s government into crisis&period;<br>The 57 page indictment against the Democrat&comma; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;nytimes&period;com&sol;interactive&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;26&sol;nyregion&sol;eric-adams-indictment-charges-annotated&period;html">unsealed Thursday<&sol;a>&comma; charges Adams with bribery conspiracy&comma; fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations&period;<br>Leading to the indictment&comma; Mayor Adams in a speech recorded at his official residence&comma; has said he would remain in office&comma; describing any charges he may face as &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;entirely false&comma; based on lies&period;”<br>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you&comma; that I would be a target &&num;8211&semi; and a target I became&comma;” Adams said&period; <br>&&num;8220&semi;I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br>It was not immediately clear what laws Adams is accused of breaking or when he might have to appear in court&period;<br>Federal investigators had seized Adams&&num;8217&semi; electronic devices nearly a year ago as part of an investigation focused&comma; at least partly&comma; on campaign contributions and Adams&&num;8217&semi; interactions with the Turkish government&period; Because the charges were sealed&comma; it was unknown whether they dealt with those same matters&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;Eric-Adams-2&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469029"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>In a videotaped statement Mayor Adams maintained his innocence&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you&comma; that I would be a target — and a target I became&comma;” Adams said&period; &&num;8220&semi;I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Nearly a year after FBI agents seized his phones&comma; New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces an expanding constellation of federal inquiries involving his administration&period;<br>In recent weeks&comma; the investigations have produced a wave of subpoenas&comma; raids and anxiety for the administration of the first-term Democrat as federal investigators have visited more than a dozen members of his administration&comma; taking devices from the police commissioner &&num;8211&semi; who then resigned&comma; the head of the public schools and other trusted confidantes both in and out of City Hall&period; At least one high-ranking mayoral aide received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury&period;<br>Federal prosecutors have declined to discuss the investigations but people familiar with elements of the cases have described multiple&comma; separate inquiries involving senior Adams aides&comma; relatives of those aides&comma; campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling at the police and fire departments&period;<br>Eric Adams&comma; a former police captain won election nearly three years ago to become the city’s second Black mayor on a campaign that stressed his working class roots and commitment to public safety&period; However&comma; as Adams has made reducing crime a cornerstone of his administration&comma; he has faced growing legal peril&comma; with multiple federal investigations honing in on his top aides and his own campaign&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-large"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;Eric-Adams-3-1024x681&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469035"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Former NYPD captain Eric Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office&period; If he were to resign&comma; he would be replaced by the city’s public advocate&comma; Jumaane Williams on an interim basis pending a special election<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">In the last two weeks alone&comma; the leaders he appointed to oversee the country&&num;8217&semi;s largest police force and largest schools system have announced their resignations&period;<br>Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office&period; If he were to resign&comma; he would be replaced by the city’s public advocate&comma; Jumaane Williams&comma; who would then schedule a special election&period;<br>Gov&period; Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office&period; Hochul spokesperson&comma; Avi Small&comma; issued a statement late Wednesday that said &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Governor Hochul is aware of these concerning news reports and is monitoring the situation&period; It would be premature to comment further until the matter is confirmed by law enforcement&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;Brianna-Suggs-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469037"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Fed probe of the Adams administration started on Nov&period; 2&comma; 2023&comma; with a raid on the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs&comma; &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; campaign fundraiser for his 2021 mayoral campaign&comma; as part of investigation into the mayor&&num;8217&semi;s campaign finances <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">The federal investigations into Adams administration gained public attention early November&comma; after FBI agents conducted an early morning raid on the Brooklyn home of his chief fundraiser&comma; Brianna Suggs&period;<br>Feds according to the search warrant&comma;&nbsp&semi;were examining whether the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources&comma; funneled through straw donors&period;<br>At the time&comma; Adams insisted he followed the law and said he would be &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;shocked” if anyone on his campaign had acted illegally&period; <br>Days later&comma; FBI agents seized the mayor’s electronic devices&comma; &lbrack;phones and iPad&rsqb;&comma; as he was leaving an event in Manhattan&period;<br>Expanding the seizures&comma; on September 4&comma; feds confiscated electronic devices from the city’s police commissioner&comma; schools chancellor&comma; deputy mayor of public safety&comma; first deputy mayor and other trusted confidantes of Adams both in and out of City Hall&period;<br>The investigations it was revealed comprised of multiple&comma; separate inquiries involving senior Adams aides&comma; relatives of those aides&comma; campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling of the police and fire departments&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;Edward-Caban-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469042" style&equals;"width&colon;832px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>A week into the searches&comma; the New York City police commissioner&comma; Edward Caban&comma; &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; head of the nation&&num;8217&semi;s largest police force&comma; announced his resignation&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">A week after the searches&comma; the city&&num;8217&semi;s police commissioner&comma; Edward Caban&comma; announced his resignation&period; <br>A fortnight later&comma; Schools Chancellor David Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year&comma; but mayor Adams insisted he would keep doing the city’s business and allow the investigations to run their course&period;<br>Over the summer&comma; federal prosecutors subpoenaed Adams&comma; his campaign machinery and City Hall&comma; requesting information about the mayor’s schedule&comma; his overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;David-Banks-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469044" style&equals;"width&colon;837px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>A couple of weeks later&comma; another domino fell as Schools Chancellor David Banks&comma; &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; announced he would retire at the end of the year&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Adams spent 22 years in New York City’s police department before going into politics&comma; first as a state senator and then as Brooklyn borough president&period; He was elected as mayor in November 2021 — a victory he has repeatedly said was ordained by God&period;<br>But after more than two years in office&comma; Adams’ popularity has declined&period; While the city has seen an increase in jobs and a drop in certain categories of crime&comma; the administration has struggled with an influx of tens of thousands of international migrants who overwhelmed the city’s homeless shelters&period;<br>There has also been a steady drip of accusations and a swirl of suspicion around people close to the mayor&period;<br>In addition to the sprawling inquiries launched by Manhattan prosecutors&comma; federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are investigating another one of Adams’ close aides&comma; Winnie Greco&comma; who had raised thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the city’s Chinese American communities and later became his director of Asian affairs&period; Greco hasn’t commented publicly on the FBI searches of her properties and continues to work for the city&period;<br>When agents seized electronic devices from Caban&comma; the former police commissioner&comma; in early September&comma; they also visited his twin brother&comma; James Caban&comma; a former police officer who runs a nightlife consulting business&period;<br>Agents also took devices from the schools chancellor&semi; his brother Philip Banks&comma; formerly a top NYPD chief who is now deputy mayor for public safety&semi; their brother Terence Banks&comma; who ran a consulting firm that promised to connect businesses to government stakeholders&semi; and from First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright&comma; who is David Banks’ domestic partner&period;<br>All denied any wrongdoing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;09&sol;Thomas-Donlon-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-469046" style&equals;"width&colon;809px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Feds also raided the home of newly named interim police commissioner for New York&comma; Thomas Donlon&comma; &lbrack;photo&rsqb;&comma; and seized materials unrelated to his police work <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">While those investigations churned&comma; federal authorities also searched the homes of newly named interim police commissioner&comma; Thomas Donlon&comma; and seized materials unrelated to his police work&period; <br>Donlon confirmed the search and said it involved materials that had been in his possession for 20 years&period;<br>In his speech Wednesday night&comma; Adams appeared to cite that search as proof of overreach by federal investigators&period;<br>In the tide of federal indictment&comma; several voices from both sides have called on Adams to resign&period;<br>Hours before the charges were announced&comma; U&period;S&period; Rep&period; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the first nationally prominent Democrat to call for his re<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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