New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a federal grand jury, according to sources familiar with the situation. The specific charges are currently sealed.
The former police officer and his close associates have been under federal investigation for nearly a year.
Federal agents have seized his cell phones and recently conducted searches at the homes of several of his confidants as part of multiple corruption inquiries.
Two weeks ago, Adams accepted the resignation of Edward Caban, his appointed police commissioner, following a subpoena for his phones. Additionally, the mayor’s chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, has resigned. This week, Schools Chancellor David Banks announced plans to retire at the end of the year after also turning over his phone to federal investigators.
Adams’s younger brothers, Philip, the deputy mayor for public safety, and Terence, had their phones confiscated as well. Furthermore, David Banks’s fiancée, Sheena Wright, who serves as first deputy mayor, also had her phone seized.
The mayor has stated that, as a former police officer, he has always adhered to the rules and claims he is unaware of any misconduct within his administration.
The FBI is investigating potential irregularities in Adams’s 2021 mayoral campaign fundraising, alongside other inquiries related to city contracts and the regulation of bars and clubs.
As only the second African-American mayor of New York City, Adams was initially seen as a leader of a new wave of Democrats capable of balancing law enforcement support with progressive policies, particularly in the wake of a pandemic that had significantly impacted the city.
He has presided over a notable decrease in violent crime after a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had led to concerns from business leaders and residents about a return to the city’s struggles of the 1980s.
