New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges related to a corruption scheme involving wealthy Turkish nationals and at least one government official. Adams allegedly received over $100,000 in free plane tickets and luxury hotel stays in exchange for performing favors for his foreign benefactors. The scheme began after Adams became the Brooklyn borough president in 2014 and continued into his successful mayoral campaign seven years later. The indictment includes charges of bribery, conspiracy, and solicitation of contributions by a foreign national.
Despite calls from some politicians for Adams to resign, influential figures like Sen. Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Gov. Kathy Hochul have not called for his resignation. The indictment accuses Adams of using U.S. citizens to disguise foreign money funneled into his 2021 mayoral campaign, resulting in over $10 million in public funds. He received free business class tickets on seven international trips from 2016 to 2021, valued at over $123,000.
The indictment details instances where Adams and his staff attempted to conceal the nature of the gifts, including pressuring the New York Fire Department to allow a Turkish consulate building to open despite safety concerns. Adams allegedly deleted messages and kept fake paper trails to hide his misconduct. The investigation is ongoing and could lead to further charges against additional individuals involved in the scheme.
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