New York City Mayor Eric Adams has declared his innocence and vowed to fight the charges in a video statement responding to reports of a federal grand jury indictment.
“It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes,” Adams stated Wednesday evening (September 25). “If so, these charges would be entirely false, based on lies. But they would not be surprising. I always knew that If I stood my ground for all of you that I would be a target —and a target I became. For months, leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty.”
Adams also rejected calls for his resignation and vowed to remain in office amid the investigation: “If I am charged, I know I am innocent. I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth.”
Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office. The exact nature of the charges remains sealed, but federal prosecutors are expected to reveal details of the indictment on Thursday (September 26).
Federal authorities have expanded their investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign finances, initially focusing on Turkish-linked donations. They are now probing his interactions with five additional nations: Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Subpoenas issued over the summer suggest the investigation aims to uncover whether Adams’ campaign received illegal contributions in exchange for political favors, with ongoing searches examining possible corruption within his administration.
Eric Adams Rejects Calls For His Resignation
Before news of the indictment broke, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged Adams to step down.
“I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” she tweeted. “For the good of the city, he should resign.
Adams responded in a statement saying he would “stay and fight no matter what.”
“For anyone who self-righteously claims people charged with serious crimes should not be in jail to now say that the second Black mayor of New York should resign because of rumors and innuendo—without even a single charge being filed—is the height of hypocrisy,” Adams said. “I am leading this city to protect it from exactly that kind of phony politics.”