Mayor Eric Adams to be arraigned at the moment on bribery and fraud fees: Live updates
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams is due to appear in court today where he will be arraigned following charges of bribery, wire fraud, solicitation of contribution by a foreign national, and conspiracy.
Adams is the first sitting mayor in the city’s modern history to face federal criminal charges.
US Attorneys in the Southern District of New York on Thursday unveiled a sprawling five-count indictment against Adams, accusing him of seeking and accepting “illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals.”
The charges stem from a months-long federal investigation into his 2021 mayoral campaign and his ties to Turkish government officials and Turkish nationals.
Federal prosecutors are accusing Adams of accepting “illegal” campaign donations, funneled through a straw donor scheme, and accepting luxurious benefits in exchange for wielding his power to intervene in a fire inspection at the Turkey consulate.
Adams said he was “not surprised” by the charges and denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
He declared he would not step down from his position as the top official in New York City, despite current and former lawmakers calling upon him to resign.
Trump: Adams ‘was indicted for criticizing Biden’s migrant policy’
Donald Trump appeared to suggest that Eric Adams had been indicted after criticizing the Biden administration’s policy on “illegal migrants.”
Speaking at a press conference at Trump Tower on Thursday, the former president said that although he did not know Adams well, he had been “fairly generous to me in his statements.”
He then claimed he had predicted the mayor’s arrest and subsequent indictment over a year previously.
“I watched about a year ago when he talked about how the illegal migrants are hurting our city and the federal government should pay us and we shouldn’t have to take them, and I said ‘you know what, he’ll be indicted within the year’ and I was exactly right,” he said.
Read more below.
The wild and weird moments of a chaotic mayorship
Adams is no stranger to controversy, having been the subject of multiple gaffes and meme-worthy moments since he took office two years ago.
Mike Bedigan charts some of the wild and weird moments of his mayorship.
Read the full report below.
Background to the case, according to prosecutors
Prosecutors say Adams, who denies the charges, has been taking bribes and foreign campaign contributions since at least 2014, when he was elected Brooklyn Borough president.
Since then, the indictment alleges, Adams has continued to seek out accept, “improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.”
All told, he took more than $100,000 in luxury “travel benefits” and solicited campaign contributions from straw donors, allowing him to rake in at least $10 million in public funds for his campaiang, prosecutors alleged.
Catch up on everything you need to know about the case in our report.
Recap: Eric Adams due in court today
Welcome back to our live coverage.
Eric Adams is due to appear in court today where he will be arraigned.
The New York City Mayor was yesterday charged with bribery, wire fraud, solicitation of contribution by a foreign national, and conspiracy.
As reports swirled on Wednesday night that Adams had been indicted, federal agents swooped on the mayor’s official residence, Gracie Mansion, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The indictment was unsealed yesterday by US Attorneys in the Southern District of New York.
Adams, who denies all the allegations, is expected to appear in court at noon ET.
This live blog is now paused.
Check back later for updates.
Watch: DOJ says Eric Adams accepted $100,000 of undisclosed luxury tips from Turkey
Eric Adams to be arraigned on Friday
Judge Dale Ho has determined New York City Mayor Eric Adams will be arraigned on Friday, September 27.
Eric Adams sends email to city employees: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told city government employees that he has done “nothing wrong” and that he will continue working on behalf of New Yorkers.
“Undoubtedly, you all have now heard the news about the indictment out of the Southern District of New York. While my legal team thoroughly reviews the allegations that were just released publicly, let me be very clear, I know I’ve done nothing wrong. I am committed to continuing to fight on behalf of New Yorkers as your mayor,” Adams wrote in the email, obtained by The New York Daily News.
Chuck Schumer calls the charges “serious”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who represents New York, said the charges against Adams are “serious” and the legal process should carry out “speedily and fairly”
“No one is above the law, including the mayor of New York City,” Schumer said.
Can Eric Adams be removed?
Adams has made it clear he will not resign, despite widespread calls for him to do so after he was federally indicted. But he could be removed in one of two ways.
Governor Kathy Hochul could remove him but the process is complicated. It would require Hochul to suspend Adams for 30 days and then somewhat of a trial would need to occur.
Thus far, Hochul has declined to give a formal statement on whether or not she would do so.
Another option is for a committee, made up of five people, on “mayoral inability”. That committee would include the corporation counsel, the comptroller, the speaker of the council, a deputy mayor designated by the mayor as well as the borough president with the longest consecutive service as borough president.
Four out of five members must vote to remove the mayor.
Source: independent.co.uk
