New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he will fight the federal charges

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing federal charges just weeks after authorities raided the homes of his top aides as part of what appears to be a major corruption investigation in the heart of the nation's largest city.

In a video statement released late Wednesday, Adams, a former police captain who won the mayoral election nearly three years ago, said: “I am now convinced that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes.”

Adams called the allegations “completely false” and vowed to fight the charges with “all my might and all my spirit.”

“If I’m charged, I know I’m innocent,” Adams said. “I will request an immediate trial so New Yorkers can know the truth.”

The charges against the 64-year-old Adams remain unclear as the indictment remained sealed Wednesday evening, The New York Times and FOX News reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. According to the Times, the charges are expected to be dropped on Thursday, when Adams may appear in court.

The charges were first reported by the Times.

The mayor's administration was under federal scrutiny last year over a separate investigation into possible illegal foreign donations by Turkish officials during Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign. The Times reported earlier on Monday that federal prosecutors served City Hall, Adams and his campaign with grand jury subpoenas in July seeking information related to Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan.

Shortly before the charges were announced, Adams appeared at a reception in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art attended by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. The indictment would make Adams the first New York mayor to be criminally charged while in office.

According to the city's charter, the “mayor may be removed from office upon impeachment by the governor.” If he is forced out of office, prosecutor Jumaane Williams would become mayor of the country's largest city with about 8.3 million residents.

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New York lawmakers are calling for Eric Adams to resign

In response to the charges, New York leaders called for Adams' resignation. He acknowledged the immediate calls Wednesday but vowed to remain in office.

“But I’ve been dealing with these lies for months,” Adams said. “Make no mistake: you elected me to lead this city – and I will lead it.”

Earlier Wednesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called on Adams to resign.

“I don’t see how Mayor Adams can continue to govern New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez said on X, formerly Twitter. “The flood of resignations and vacancies threatens government function. Continuous investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain qualified administration.”

Jessica Ramos, a New York senator from Queens and a 2025 mayoral candidate, said the allegations “feel like a profound betrayal.”

“Weeks of FBI raids, indictments and resignations have rocked our city,” Ramos said in a statement. “Right now, New Yorkers feel frustrated and abandoned. Above all, this is unforgivable.”

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is also running for mayor next year, echoed Ramos' sentiments.

“Mayor Adams, like all New Yorkers, deserves due process, the presumption of innocence and his day in court. However, it is clear that defending against serious federal charges will require a significant amount of the time and attention required.” “Great city,” Lander said

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie said it was a “sad day” for the city, adding that news of the indictment was “particularly painful for so many Black New Yorkers who place our hope and trust in this mayor.”

“We need a leader who is fully focused on the enormous challenges we face — from housing affordability to public safety,” Myrie said in a statement. “A mayor under the weight of a serious charge can no longer do this – and today I call on him to resign.”

The impeachment comes amid political unrest and a series of resignations

In November 2023, the FBI seized Adams' cellphones and computer and searched his campaign treasurer's home. And in recent weeks, other top city officials have resigned amid multiple federal corruption investigations.

Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned on September 12, a week after investigators from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan seized his cellphones. Caban was among several of the mayor's aides and confidants who received federal search warrants earlier this month, including Deputy Mayor for Criminal Justice Philip Banks III, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Schools Chancellor David Banks.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he will fight the federal charges

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