New York City mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The indictment detailing the charges against Mr Adams, a Democrat, was still sealed late on Wednesday, according to the people, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.
The US attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment. The indictment was first reported by The New York Times.
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became,” Mr Adams said in a statement that implied he had not been informed of the indictment.
“If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
In a speech recorded at his official residence, Mr Adams acknowledged that some New Yorkers would question his ability to manage the city while he fights the charges, but he vowed to stay in office.
“I have been facing these lies for months … yet the city has continued to improve,” Mr Adams said. “Make no mistake. You elected me to lead this city and lead it I will.”
It was not immediately clear when the charges would be made public or when Mr Adams might have to appear in court.
The indictment marks a stunning turn for Mr Adams, a former police captain who won election nearly three years ago to become the second black mayor of the nation’s largest city on a platform that promised a law-and-order approach to reducing crime.
For much of the last year, Mr Adams has faced growing legal peril, with multiple federal investigations into top advisers producing a drumbeat of subpoenas, searches and high-level departures that has thrust City Hall into crisis.
In the last two weeks alone, the police chief who oversees the country’s largest police force and the schools chancellor who is in charge of the nation’s biggest school district both announced their resignations.
He had repeatedly said he was not aware of any wrongdoing and vowed as recently as Wednesday afternoon to stay in office.
Mr Adams, who is expecting a tough primary election next year, faced immediate calls to resign from many of his declared or expected Democratic challengers.
Brad Lander, the city’s comptroller, said the indictment marked “a sad day for New Yorkers”. Senator Zellnor Myrie also called the indictment “sad” and added that it was “especially painful for so many Black New Yorkers who put our hope and faith in this Mayor”.
Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who is expected to run against Mr Adams, said: “The mayor needs to resign for the good of the city.”
Mr Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office. If he were to resign, he would be replaced by the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who would then schedule a special election.
Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Mr Adams from office. Ms Hochul’s office did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday night.
Hours before the charges were announced, US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Mr Adams to resign, the first nationally prominent Democrat to do so.
She cited the federal criminal investigations into the mayor’s administration and the string of unexpected departures of top city officials.
“I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez wrote on the social platform X.
Mr Adams reacted with scorn, dismissing Ms Ocasio-Cortez as self-righteous.
The federal investigations into Mr Adams’ administration first emerged publicly on November 2, 2023, when FBI agents conducted an early morning raid on the Brooklyn home of Mr Adams’ chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.
At the time, Mr Adams insisted he followed the law and said he would be “shocked” if anyone on his campaign had acted illegally. “I cannot tell you how much I start the day with telling my team we’ve got to follow the law,” he told reporters at the time.
Days later, FBI agents seized the mayor’s phones and iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan. The interaction was disclosed several days later by the mayor’s attorney.
Then on September 4, federal investigators seized electronic devices from the city’s police commissioner, schools chancellor, deputy mayor of public safety, first deputy mayor and other trusted confidantes of Mr Adams both in and out of City Hall.
Federal prosecutors declined to discuss the investigations but people familiar with elements of the cases described multiple, separate inquiries involving senior Adams aides, relatives of those aides, campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling of the police and fire departments.
A week after the searches, police commissioner Edward Caban announced his resignation, telling officers that he did not want the investigations “to create a distraction”. About two weeks later, schools chancellor David Banks announced that he would retire at the end of the year.
Mr Adams himself insisted he would keep doing the city’s business and allow the investigations to run their course.
Over the summer, federal prosecutors subpoenaed Mr Adams, his campaign arm and City Hall, requesting information about the mayor’s schedule, his overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government.
Adams spent 22 years in New York City’s police department before going into politics, first as a state senator and then as Brooklyn borough president, a largely ceremonial position.
He was elected mayor in 2021, defeating a diverse field of Democrats in the primary and then easily beating Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, a Republican, in the general election.
After more than two years in office, Mr Adams’ popularity has declined. While the city has seen an increase in jobs and a drop in certain categories of crime, the administration has been preoccupied with efforts to find housing for tens of thousands of international migrants who overwhelmed the city’s homeless shelters.
There has also been a steady drip of accusations and a swirl of suspicion around people close to the mayor.
