New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with wire fraud, bribery, and other counts in a federal indictment by the US district court for the southern district of New York. The 57-page indictment accuses Adams of seeking and accepting illegal campaign contributions, luxury international travel, and other benefits from foreign nationals looking to gain influence over him. Despite the charges, Adams has remained defiant and vowed not to resign, proclaiming his innocence and determination to lead the city.
Following reports of the indictment, federal agents raided Adams’s Gracie Mansion residence in the early hours of Thursday. The mayor’s lawyer criticized the raid as a spectacle and stated that Adams had not been arrested. The indictment is said to involve allegations of foreign influence and corruption, including possible illegal campaign donations from the Turkish government.
In response to the charges, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remained elusive, saying he was talking to his doctor when asked for his thoughts on Adams’s indictment. On the other hand, Brooklyn’s Democratic party chair, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, expressed support for Adams, emphasizing the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, and ex-President Donald Trump will appear in a New York appeals court over a civil fraud judgment. Additionally, the Senate has voted to hold the CEO of the bankrupt hospital chain Steward Health Care in criminal contempt for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena.
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