New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing five federal charges, including wire fraud, bribery, and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, according to a federal indictment. Prosecutors allege that Adams accepted luxury travel from wealthy foreign individuals and Turkish officials in exchange for official favors over nearly a decade. The indictment details how Adams received heavily discounted stays, free travel on Turkey’s national airline, meals, and entertainment, all while keeping fake paper trails and deleting messages to hide his misconduct. The favors continued when he became mayor in 2021, including pressuring the Fire Department to allow a Turkish consular building to open despite safety concerns. In addition to the free travel, Adams received illegal campaign contributions from foreign donors. The Turkish embassy has not commented on the allegations.
Prominent politicians, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have called for Adams to resign, but Sen. Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Gov. Kathy Hochul have not immediately joined the calls. The charges come amid a series of investigations targeting Adams’ administration, including probes into campaign fundraising and public corruption. Adams has vowed to fight the charges and defend himself, while maintaining that he was elected to lead the city and will continue to do so. The indictment was unsealed after FBI agents searched Adams’ home and seized his phone for the second time. The details of the criminal case have led to a growing number of politicians calling for Adams’ resignation.
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