Defiant Eric Adams says he's being targeted for opposing Harris-Biden policies in video: 'I am innocent'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Mayor Eric Adams claimed he was being politically prosecuted for challenging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' administration over the influx of migrants to New York City. On Wednesday, September 25, Adams, a Democrat, became the Big Apple's first of 110 mayors to be indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges while in office.
The specifics of the charges against the NYC Mayor were not disclosed as the indictment remained sealed on Wednesday night, The New York Times reported. US Attorney Damian Williams is expected to unseal the historic indictment on September 26, according to the New York Post.
Eric Adams vows to request an immediate trial in federal probe
The mayor defended himself against the federal changes in a video statement, claiming he put the New Yorkers "before party and politics."
"I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit. If I’m charged, I know I am innocent," Adams said, adding he would request for an immediate trial to bring the truth out to the people of New York.
"New Yorkers know my story. They know where I come from. I have been fighting injustice my entire life," the 64-year-old continued.
"That fight has continued as your mayor. … when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics," he added.
Though the exact charges remain undisclosed, they were believed to be in connection with accusations of illegal funding from the Turkish government for Adams' mayoral campaign in return for the approval of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan, sources told the New York Post.
Eric Adams attributes indictment to standing for New Yorkers amid migrant influx
Eric Adams asserted that his fight against the flooding of migrants into the city made him the victim.
According to a statement to the New York Post, the mayor said he knew that he would be targeted for standing up for the people of New York.
"I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became," he claimed.
Adams further insisted he would not resign from the position despite criminal charges and accused the federal government of having a "broken" immigration system that strained NYC's resources and shelter system.
Reiterating his claim that he put New Yorkers "before party and politics," Adams added, "If I am charged, many may say I should resign because I cannot manage the city while fighting the case."
"But I have been facing these lies for months since I began to speak out for all of you, and their investigations started, yet the city has continued to improve," the Hizzoner argued. "Make no mistake — you elected me to lead this city and lead it, I will."
Adams has been an open critic of the Biden administration's immigration policies that led to the influx of 217,300 migrants into the city since the spring of 2022.
In addition, the major crisis would likely cost the Big Apple more than $12 billion by 2026, and the mayor frequently requested the Democratic administration in Washington for more funds to the city.
On September 4, the homes of several of Adams' top officials were raided, which led to speculations of investigations into corruption allegations in Hizzoner's inner circle.
