New York Mayor Eric Adams has been charged, sources say

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on federal charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The indictment containing the charges against Adams, a Democrat, was sealed Wednesday evening, according to the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment. The indictment was first reported by The New York Times.

“I always knew that if I stood up for New Yorkers, I would be targeted — and I was,” Adams said in a statement that suggested he had not been informed of the indictment. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with all my strength and spirit.”

It is not yet clear when the charges will be publicly disclosed or when Adams will be required to appear in court.

The indictment marks a shocking fall for Adams, a former police captain who won election nearly three years ago to become the second black mayor of the nation’s largest city by promising a law-and-order approach to reducing crime.

For much of the past year, Adams has been grappling with mounting legal troubles, with many federal investigations to top advisers who issued subpoenas, searched for jobs and left for high positions, leading to a crisis at City Hall.

He has repeatedly said he is not aware of any irregularities and promised on Wednesday afternoon that he would remain in office.

Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be impeached while in office. If he were to resign, he would be replaced by the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who would then schedule a special election.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has the authority to remove Adams from office. Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening.

Hours before the charges were announced, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Adams to resign, the first prominent Democrat in the country to do so. She cited federal criminal investigations to the mayor’s administration and a series of unexpected departures of key city officials.

“I don’t understand how Mayor Adams can continue to run New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media platform X.

Adams responded with contempt, calling Ocasio-Cortez a self-aggrandizer.

Federal investigations into the Adams administration first came to delicate on November 2, 2023, when FBI agents carried out a morning raid at the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, a lead fundraiser for Adams.

At the time, Adams insisted he was following the law and said he would “shocked” if anyone in his campaign acted illegally. “I can’t tell you how much I start my day telling my team we have to follow the law,” he told reporters at the time.

A few days later, FBI agents the mayor’s phones and iPads were confiscated as he left an event in Manhattan. The interaction was revealed days later by the mayor’s lawyer.

Then on Sept. 4, federal investigators seized electronic devices belonging to the city’s police commissioner, schools chancellor, deputy mayor for public safety, first deputy mayor and other people Adams trusted, both inside and outside City Hall.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the investigation, but people familiar with the case described multiple, separate investigations involving senior associates of Adams, relatives of those associates, campaign fundraising and possible influence-peddling within the police and fire departments.

A week after the searches, Police Commissioner Edward Caban announced his resignation, telling officers he did not want the investigations to be a “distraction.” About two weeks later, Schools Chancellor David Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year.

Sam Adams assured that he would continue to handle city affairs and allow the investigation to run its course.

Federal prosecutors in the summer summoned Adams, his campaign representative and City Hall have asked the mayor for information about his foreign travel schedule and potential ties to the Turkish government.

Adams spent 22 years in the New York Police Department before entering politics, first as a state senator and then as Brooklyn borough chairman, a largely ceremonial role.

He was elected mayor in 2021, defeating a diverse field of Democrats in the primary and then easily defeating Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, a Republican, in the general election.

After more than two years in office, Adams’ popularity has waned. While the city has seen job growth and some crime rates decline, the administration has been busy trying to house the tens of thousands of international migrants who have overwhelmed city shelters.

Accusations and suspicions against people from the mayor’s entourage are appearing more and more often.

The Manhattan district attorney has charged six people — including a former police captain who has long been close to Adams — in connection with alleged plan to funnel tens of thousands of dollars into the mayor’s campaign by manipulating public matching programs in hopes of getting preferential treatment from the city. Adams has not been charged with a crime in the case.

Adams’ former top building safety official, Eric Ulrich, was charged last year with accepting bribes and inappropriate gifts worth $150,000 in exchange for political favors, including access to the mayor. Ulrich has pleaded not guilty and is fighting the charges.

In February, federal investigators searched two properties belonging to one of Adams’ close associates, Winnie Greco, who raised thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the city’s Chinese American communities and later became his Asian affairs director. Greco has not commented publicly on the FBI searches of her properties and continues to work for the city.

When agents seized electronic devices from former police commissioner Caban in early September, they also visited his twin brother, James Caban, a former police officer who runs a nightlife consulting firm.

Agents also seized devices from the schools chancellor; his brother, Philip Banks, a former New York City police chief and now deputy mayor for public safety; their brother, Terence Banks, who ran a consulting firm promising to connect businesses with government entities; and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, who is David Banks’ life partner.

They all denied any irregularities.

While investigations continued, federal authorities also searched the homes of newly appointed interim police commissioner Thomas Donlan and materials unrelated to his police work were confiscated. Donlon confirmed the search and said it involved materials he had had in his possession for 20 years. He did not address the subject of the investigation, but a person familiar with the investigation said it involved classified documents dating back to Donlon’s years with the FBI. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.