Mayor of New York has been indicted

Liam Saranich | News editor

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.  

Indictment detailing the charges against Adams, a Democrat, was still sealed late Wednesday, according to the people, who spoke with the press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicity. It was not immediately clear when the charges would be public or when Adams would appear in court.  

The indictment makes a stunning fall for Adams, a former police captain who won the election nearly three years ago to become the second Black mayor of the nation’s largest city. For much of the last year, Adams has been facing growing legal peril, with multiple federal investigations into top advisors of Adams. 

He has repeatedly said he has not been aware of any wrongdoing and vowed as recently as Wednesday afternoon to stay in office. Adams is the first Mayor in New York history to be indicted while in office. If he was to resign, he would be replaced by the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who would then schedule a special election.  

The Gov. Kathy Hochul does have the power to remove Adams from office. Hochul’s has not publicly stated anything on the matter of Mayor Adams.  

The first time the investigation emerged publicly was on Nov. 2nd, 2023, when federal agents conducted a raid of Brooklyn home of Adams chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.  

At the time, Adams insisted that he was following the law and was shocked if anyone in his campaign was acting illegally. Days after the raid on Snuggs, federal 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.  

Federal prosecutors declined to discuss the investigation but people familiar with elements of the case 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, and then 2 weeks after Schools Chancellor David Banks announced that he would retire at the end of the year. Adams himself insisted that he would stay in office and let the investigation run their course.