On Thursday, September 26, the Federal Southern District of New York Prosecutor’s Office unsealed the indictment against New York City Mayor Adams. Just half an hour before the unsealing at 10:50 AM, Adams held a press conference in front of the Mayor’s residence, denying all charges against him listed in the indictment. Despite calls from protesters outside urging him to “resign,” he stated his refusal to resign and declared his intention to “continue taking care of this city and its people.”
Thursday saw Adams facing federal charges alleging that he accepted bribes from foreign nationals and engaged in illegal campaign donations in exchange for favors, including assisting Turkish officials in obtaining fire safety approvals for New York’s new diplomatic compound. Adams is facing charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery.
Adams hastily convened a press conference before the indictment was made public, announcing his decision to not step down from his position as mayor and vehemently denying all accusations.
“I am not surprised by this at all, not one bit. We have prepared for this. They demonized us for at least the past 10 months,” Adams began. “This is an unfortunate day, a painful day. But in all this, there will be a day when we will ultimately reveal why I have gone through all this in 10 months. I look forward to defending myself.”
He then made it clear that he will not resign, stating, “My lawyer will handle this case, and I will take care of this city. My routine will not change, I will continue to take care of the 8.3 million New Yorkers I was elected to do; and the 300,000 city government employees will also continue to do their jobs.”
Furthermore, Adams denied all allegations, stating, “I have participated in many campaigns, always following the law; I followed the laws and regulations in the 2021 election, and I will continue to follow the law. I did not receive ghost donations, I did not engage in foreign donations, we know these rules, and we comply with them. My lawyer will be responsible for future matters.”
Many supporters expressed that the United States is a democratic country where everyone’s case goes through a process with a beginning, middle, and end, hoping for a final just verdict for all.
However, there were also protesters present at the scene, chanting “abuse of power,” “corrupt mayor,” and continuously demanding “resign! Resign!”
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in the indictment that Adams “not only accepted but also sought illegal campaign donations” during his election campaign; a senior official from a Turkish diplomatic agency facilitated “numerous straw donations” for Adams and arranged for Adams and his associates to travel for free or at a discounted rate on flights by Turkish Airlines to destinations such as France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, and Turkey.
The indictment claimed that Adams received over $10 million in campaign support from illegal donations.
Earlier in the day, FBI agents entered the Mayor’s residence and confiscated his phone, the second time Adams had his phone confiscated last year. At 11:30 AM, federal prosecutors held a press conference announcing the indictment against the New York City Mayor.
Adams previously worked for the New York City Police Department for 22 years, later serving as a New York State Senator and then becoming the chairman of Brooklyn District; in 2021, he was elected as the second black mayor of New York City.
This story is still developing, so stay tuned for Epoch Times’ follow-up reports.