(FreePressBeacon.com) – New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing major legal trouble as a source revealed that a federal court in Manhattan has indicted him on several criminal charges.
The details are still under wraps since the indictment is sealed, but it is known that these charges connect to how his campaign got money back in his 2021 run for mayor.
They are also tied to some other issues dating back to his time as Brooklyn borough president in 2015.
A big part of the accusations involves Adams’ interactions with the Turkish community and businesspeople, suggesting they might have influenced him improperly.
The charges include conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, wire fraud and accepting money from foreign nationals.
A city program could have also played a role. Apparently, Adams’ campaign might have benefitted from about $20 million through a city matching fund system that boosts small donations from New York City residents by up to eight times.
The indictment reportedly mentions that Adams traveled to Turkey to collect some of these illegal funds.
Now, he is the first person from his team to be formally accused amid a slew of ongoing investigations that also target the New York Police Department and other city officials.
It was previously known that the Manhattan U.S. attorney was looking into whether Adams worked with Turkey’s government to sneak illegal donations into his campaign.
Reports revealed that City Hall, Adams and his campaign were hit with grand jury subpoenas in July, wanting info connected to dealings with five other countries: Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Reacting to the charges, Adams said, “It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes. If so, these charges would be entirely false, based on lies.”
While the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI are not commenting, some big political names like liberal Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and several city and state officials are already saying Adams should resign for the sake of the city’s smooth operation.
Adams, who previously served as a police captain, state senator and Brooklyn borough president, would be replaced by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams as acting mayor if he resigns before his term ends.
Meanwhile, the investigations are sprawling. The city’s Schools Chancellor David Banks surprised everyone by announcing his retirement amid the federal probes.
Banks’ announcement came shortly after federal agents seized electronic devices from him and close relatives, all connected to his office.
Even the NYPD is not untouched. Recently, federal investigators have been looking into whether James Caban, twin brother of the former police commissioner, used his connections to benefit his security business.
This comes just after the police commissioner resigned after a federal raid on his own phone.
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