Now that Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal corruption charges, the courtroom saga has begun.
Adams faces charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, which is known for bringing high-profile cases against powerful politicians and business moguls, is prosecuting the case.
Adams’ historic indictment marks the first time in modern New York City history that a sitting mayor has been charged with a crime. If you’re wondering what this all means and what could happen next, Gothamist has some answers for you.
What’s Adams accused of?
Prosecutors say Adams accepted more than $100,000 worth of international plane tickets, free rooms at fancy hotels and illegal campaign donations from Turkish nationals, dating back at least to his days as Brooklyn borough president in 2016. In return, according to the charging papers, Adams appointed a Turkish airline manager to his transition team and pressured FDNY officials to allow a new Turkish consulate to open when the 36-story skyscraper was riddled with dozens of safety defects.
“This was a multiyear scheme to buy favor with a single New York City politician on the rise: Eric Adams,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at a press conference after the indictment was unsealed Thursday morning.
The indictment cites emails and text messages between Adams and several unnamed associates, including a fundraiser, a staff liaison to Turkey and other Muslim-majority countries in Eastern Europe, a Turkish official and several Turkish businesspeople. It also describes frantic efforts from Adams’ circle to cover up the alleged scheme, including a staffer sneaking off to the bathroom during an FBI interview to delete encrypted messaging apps she used to communicate with the mayor.
“It reads like a play,” Zephyr Teachout, a law professor whose work focuses on corporate and political power, told WNYC’s “All Things Considered.” “It’s a really shocking and really disturbing indictment.”
What would it take for prosecutors to prove their case?
Prosecutors must prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Adams committed the crimes for a jury to indict him.
Recent court decisions have made it increasingly difficult for federal prosecutors to secure convictions in corruption cases. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that politicians must carry out — or at least promise — an “official act” in exchange for bribes. And the definition for an official act has narrowed over time.
Some legal and political observers noted that high standard also proved a challenge in the Southern District of New York’s corruption case against then-U.S. Senator Bob Menendez — but the senator was ultimately found guilty on 16 counts.
Teachout — a former candidate for multiple offices who has also led organizations that promote government transparency and campaign finance reform — said setting up meetings in exchange for luxury goods alone wouldn’t necessarily meet the threshold. But in this case, she said, the allegations go far beyond setting up meetings.
“There’s a very disturbing set of facts about Adams saying that he knows that he owes the Turkish government something,” she said.
In addition to messages, the indictment alleges Adams accepted a series of free or drastically reduced business class plane tickets to various destinations across the world, with layovers in Turkey.
“You know my first stop is always Istanbul,” Adams allegedly told his domestic partner in a 2017 text message.
How might Adams’ team defend him in court?
Adams kicked off his defense strategy by fervently denying wrongdoing in a recorded statement Wednesday night and at a press conference on Thursday morning, just after his indictment was unsealed.
“I follow the law and I follow the campaign rules,” he said at the press conference.
Former FBI agent David Shapiro told Gothamist all the texts, emails and other digital evidence seized by law enforcement will make it difficult for Adams to defend himself.
“I think the mayor is in a difficult spot,” said Shapiro, who is now a lecturer at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
But Sagar Ravi, a former federal prosecutor with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, said Adams’ attorneys will likely scrutinize every search warrant used to obtain those materials, to see if any materials were potentially obtained illegally and could be blocked from the case.
“I expect that the mayor’s defense team will take a hard look at all the warrants and evidence collection in this case,” he said.
Could Adams go to prison?
Adams faces up to 45 years in federal prison if convicted of all the charges, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Should a jury find him guilty, a federal judge would decide his sentence.
Does an indictment mean the investigation is over?
No. At his press conference, Williams said his office’s investigation is ongoing.
“We continue to dig, and we will hold more people accountable,” he said. “I encourage anyone with information to come forward and to do so before it is too late.”
Federal agents searched Adams’ residence as recently as Thursday morning — just before the indictment was unsealed.
Ravi said it’s typical for federal prosecutors to continue investigating even after someone has been indicted, and to potentially bring new charges if additional evidence surfaces. He noted that multiple other people were referenced in the indictment but not charged, which could mean that they are cooperating with the government or will be charged in the future.
Shapiro said once people learn that they could be implicated in a federal case, they may either try to hide their involvement or else offer information in exchange for leniency.
“You’re going to shut up, or you’re going to make a deal,” he said.
Rajji Vikram, Joseph Capriglione, Herb Pinder and Stephen Brown contributed reporting.