DEVELOPING STORY: New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted today on federal criminal charges and could be arrested as soon as Thursday, the New York Times first reported.
Adams, a Democrat, becomes the first sitting New York City mayor to ever face criminal charges. At least 15 city leaders with ties to Adams are also facing criminal investigations.
Mayor Eric Adams once called himself the “the future of the Democratic Party” and the “Biden of Brooklyn.” Now the mayor’s prospects of winning a second term — and serving out the remainder of his term — are in jeopardy.
The indictment of Mayor Adams remains sealed, so the precise charges remain unclear. Federal prosecutors, the F.B.I. and the city’s Department of Investigation will announce the details on Thursday.
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement to The New York Post. “If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”