The official charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were revealed by a U.S. Attorney's Office on Thursday (September 26), according to NBC News and various other reports. The charges in the 57-page indictment are the following per correspondent Tom Winter: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals; wire fraud; two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national; and bribery. Furthermore, these campaign finance, bribery, and conspiracy charges accuses Adams of colluding with the Turkish government for funds in exchange for favorable treatment.
Not only that, but Eric Adams also faces accusations of using a city program to match smaller donations by up to eight times their original worth. Prosecutors claim he put large donations through various individuals in diminished amounts in order to rake in millions for his campaign. In addition, they accused Adams of accepting travel benefits from a government official in Turkey without disclosing this to his constituents. Many in the hip-hop world and beyond have reacted to this news, with 50 Cent expressing shock but also skepticism about this historic moment in NYC mayoral history.
Eric Adams' Charges + Press Conference
"I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit," Eric Adams responded to the indictment in a public Wednesday address (September 25). "I am innocent. Now, if I am charged, many may say I should resign because I cannot manage the city while fighting the case. I can also understand how everyday New Yorkers would be concerned that I cannot do my job while I face accusations, but I have been facing these lies for months […] Yet the city has continued to improve. Make no mistake, you elected me to lead this city and lead it I will."
The Mayor's First Response
Before this, Eric Adams' last public moment of goodwill with the hip-hop community was when he handed the Key to the City to Fat Joe. "Shout-out my wife, my daughter, shout-out my favorite aunt in the world," the rapper shared. "I gotta thank the pioneers. From Melle Mel, Mr. Ness to KRS-One — my whole life I been trying to be KRS-One — LL Cool J, Heavy D and the list goes on. I want to shout out everybody here because we in the Bronx and I know I know all of you. Every last one of you, I know you — I love you."
