New York mayor indicted for corruption and illegal campaign financing

The Democratic mayor of New York, Eric Adams, has been indicted for illegal electoral campaign financing and corruption, in an investigation linked to Turkey which weakens him more than ever at the head of the largest city in the United States.

Unveiled Thursday morning, the indictment from the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office mentions in particular acts of electronic fraud, illegal solicitation of electoral campaign contributions from a foreign person and the acceptance of bribes from from a Turkish official.

In exchange, Eric Adams would have used his influence on a file for the construction of a skyscraper housing Turkey’s mission to the United Nations and its consulate general, we can read in the court document of more than 50 pages.

He hid from the public that he was secretly showered with gifts [et a maintenu] keeping the public in the dark year after year.

What is alleged in the indictment – the foreign money, the corporate money, the years of cover-up – shows that he [Eric Adams] has seriously broken the bond of trust with the publicadded the prosecutor during a press briefing, while calls for the mayor’s resignation increased among elected New York Democrats.

The mayor replied that he was impatient to defend himself, after having proclaimed his innocence, during a press briefing in front of his residence, searched early Thursday morning.

He promised to continue his work with New Yorkers, thus implicitly ruling out resigning.

More and more fragile

But this indictment sounds like a bolt from the blue and further weakens the mayor of the largest city in the United States (8.5 million inhabitants), a former African-American New York police captain elected in 2021 on promises of security, who saw his popularity rate drop during his mandate, while cases targeting the town hall multiplied.

I voted for him because he was a former police officer, I thought the city needed him. And I found that having a black mayor was very positive after the movement Black Lives Matter. But it’s a disappointment. He must resigndeclared to theAFP a New York voter, Bartholomew Bland, crossing the crowded train station of Grand Centralin Manhattan.

His indictment also risks embarrassing the Democratic camp, 40 days before the presidential election between Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, neck and neck in the polls.

Multiple investigations

I always knew that if I stood up for New Yorkers, I would be a target – and I became onedefended Eric Adams. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight with all my strength and spiritadded the 64-year-old mayor.

At least four federal investigations are underway, including three led by Manhattan prosecutors, targeting the mayor and those close to him, several of whom have resigned in recent days.

In November 2023, the federal police (FBI) seized the mayor’s cell phones and electronic devices and searched the home of a fundraiser for his campaign.

Dropped by his allies

The announcement of the indictment comes after the resignation of several of the mayor’s allies in recent days, including his health commissioner as well as the education chancellor, one of his very close friends. The police chief, Edward Caban, also targeted by an investigation, had already resigned earlier in September, just one year after his arrival at the head of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and its 36,000 agents.

On Wednesday, even before the announcement of the mayor’s indictment, the elected representative of New York to the House of Representatives and figure of the left Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had called on Eric Adams to resign, for the good of the city.

These calls multiplied in the evening from several other elected Democrats.

Eric Adams won the 2021 Democratic primary on the promise of reducing crime, which had skyrocketed in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was able to credit a decrease in violent crime, but New Yorkers also have to deal with the rising cost of living and a housing crisis that has pushed their rents to unprecedented levels.

At the end of 2023, the mayor’s popularity rate had fallen to its lowest, to 28% in a poll. In this context, several rivals have declared themselves candidates for the party primary in 2025.