New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted following a federal corruption investigation, but the indictment is sealed and it is unclear what charges he will face, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
The charges came after the FBI last November searched Adams’ electronic devices, and in the wake of a slew of resignations by top city officials in recent weeks as multiple federal corruption investigations entangle his administration.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. Adams’ lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of his lawyers has said that the mayor, a Democrat, was cooperating with an investigation but did not say what it was about.
The case is likely to complicate any Adams bid for re-election in 2025. Other Democratic politicians, including New York City comptroller Brad Lander, plan to challenge Adams – once a key ally of Democratic President Joe Biden – for the party’s nomination.
The Times, citing a search warrant, reported in early November 2023 that federal authorities were investigating the possible acceptance by Adams’ 2021 campaign of illegal donations, including by the Turkish government.
The probe, conducted by the U.S. attorney’s office, focused on whether Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign conspired with a Brooklyn construction company to funnel foreign money into the campaign through a straw-donor scheme, the Times said.
Authorities have also sought information about Adams’ interactions with Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan, according to the Times.
