[NYC] Eric Adams - federal indictment

[Smoove_B]

Maybe local-ish news, but anyone that's been following his career shouldn't be surprised:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal criminal charges, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

The indictment follows a monthslong federal investigation into campaign fundraising violations and foreign influence. The charges he is facing are not publicly known at this time.

Adams has previously denied any wrongdoing, and he has frequently repeated that he told members of his campaign and administration to follow the law.

[AWS260]

He's so committed to being tough on crime, he's decided to fight crime from the inside.

[hepcat]

[Unagi]

Well great, now I'm gonna need to watch that movie again soon.

[Smoove_B]

I think there's a press conference coming in the next hour, but the story has been updated (original link) quite a few times:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on five federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, according to a 57-page indictment unsealed Thursday morning.

He is facing one charge each of bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two charges relating to receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals. He is also charged with wire fraud.

[$iljanus]

There have been all sorts of articles about "questionable" dealings and relationships swirling around him for a few years so I'm not surprised that it has come to this.

A lot of folks in NYC gov have had records and devices seized but the news stories have pointed out that many of those folks haven't been named in an indictment. Something tells me that a few of them may have had incentive to do the right thing when all good people are called to testify in the coming trial.

For anyone with a NYT subscription here's an article on the people caught up in the investigation.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/202 ... tions.html

[Smoove_B]

I'm looking for an article, but apparently the "core" element is that he received illegal / hidden campaign donations from foreign countries and then used the NY program for matching public funds for those supposed "legitimate donations" to increase his campaign coffers even higher. So not only taking in money from foreign sources but then defrauding the public as part of that process.

Enjoy prison.

[$iljanus]

Turkey seems to have been very very good to the mayor.

After reading about the destruction of democracy, political racism, the Orange Guy's future revenge administration, and so on, I'm rather amused and relieved to read about old fashioned bribery and run of the mill corruption.

[Smoove_B]

I'm beginning to think a society focused around having the most money possible might have problems with said money influencing society.

[gilraen]

His entire demeanor was screaming "I am a crook" ever since the early days of his campaign. I'm just surprised it took this long for his "creative accounting" to catch up to him.

[Smoove_B]

More details:

As part of the allegations, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York detailed the undisclosed travel benefits Adams accepted, which totaled more than $100,000.

Item #6 was allowing a new Turkish consular building to open that wouldn't have passed fire code.

Looks like the campaign matching donations from NY taxpayers was somewhere around ~$10 million (page 2 of the PDF above).

I'm sure there was good reasoning.

[Carpet_pissr]

His entire demeanor was screaming "I am a crook" ever since the early days of his campaign. I'm just surprised it took this long for his "creative accounting" to catch up to him.

Same

[Kraken]

Turkey seems to have been very very good to the mayor.

After reading about the destruction of democracy, political racism, the Orange Guy's future revenge administration, and so on, I'm rather amused and relieved to read about old fashioned bribery and run of the mill corruption.

Yeah, I can spare it a slightly raised eyebrow.

[Victoria Raverna]

[hepcat]

Ooof, the more I read about this, the more I realize just how awful Adams is. NPR had a deep dive recently and they covered all the lies he’s issued over the years as well. He’d make a perfect running mate for Trump if he was a Republican…and white.

[$iljanus]

Ooof, the more I read about this, the more I realize just how awful Adams is. NPR had a deep dive recently and they covered all the lies he’s issued over the years to. He’d make a perfect running mate for Trump if he was a Republican…and white.

Well no matter your race, everyone likes some green (or whatever color euros are these days)

[gilraen]

Well no matter your race, everyone likes some green (or whatever color euros are these days)

I assume you mean Turkish lira

[$iljanus]

Well no matter your race, everyone likes some green (or whatever color euros are these days)

I assume you mean Turkish lira

I didn't know they didn't buy into the Eurozone. This forum is very educational!

[Max Peck]

IIRC, Turkey wanted to join the EU, but the EU wouldn't take them.

[Smoove_B]

Feds are dropping the charges:

The Justice Department has directed prosecutors to dismiss the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, arguing in a memo that the case was distracting him from dealing with illegal immigration, violent crime and his reelection campaign.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, in a two-page memo sent Monday, told prosecutors for the Southern District of New York to drop the bribery charges against Adams as soon as possible, multiple news outlets reported, including the New York Times, Reuters and the Associated Press.

But why would they do that? I'm sure Adams' recent meetings with Trump's people a few months ago and his public communication that ICE will have access to historically protected areas in NYC despite being a sanctuary city has nothing to do with it.

[Zarathud]

Collude and receive Trump’s protection, for as long as he’s willing to provide it.

[$iljanus]

Feds are dropping the charges:

The Justice Department has directed prosecutors to dismiss the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, arguing in a memo that the case was distracting him from dealing with illegal immigration, violent crime and his reelection campaign.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, in a two-page memo sent Monday, told prosecutors for the Southern District of New York to drop the bribery charges against Adams as soon as possible, multiple news outlets reported, including the New York Times, Reuters and the Associated Press.

But why would they do that? I'm sure Adams' recent meetings with Trump's people a few months ago and his public communication that ICE will have access to historically protected areas in NYC despite being a sanctuary city has nothing to do with it.

There are benefits to cooperating. Loyalty will be rewarded, dissent will be punished.

[waitingtoconnect]

If we are rhyming historically with Weimar Germany or Putins Russia up to a third of democrats will flip and support trump as their corporate sponsors and donors flip.

Adams is one of those situations.

Let’s hope there isn’t too many more. Oh no here’s another:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2 ... -governor/

[Unagi]

That can only be read by subscribers and cut-throats.

[waitingtoconnect]

Here’s another, https://www.wjbc.com/2025/02/11/trump-p ... ime-short/

Trump is considering appointing Blagojevich as ambassador to his family’s native Serbia, according to a report last week from POLITICO.

[Isgrimnur]

BBC: Trump pardons disgraced ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich

Blagojevich, now 68, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on a wide array of corruption charges, including extortion related to state funds for a children's hospital, and for trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated US Senate seat in 2008.

The former governor was removed from office in 2009 and began serving his prison sentence in 2012.

Before his spectacular downfall, Blagojevich appeared on Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality TV show - where the now-President "fired" him.

[GreenGoo]

There are benefits to cooperating. Loyalty will be rewarded, dissent will be punished.

How's that working out for Giuliani?

Zarathud has it right. There are only enemies and useful rubes in drumpf's world view. And the occasional daddy figure.

[Blackhawk]

*Sugar daddy

[Zarathud]

Well, I’m pretty sure Trump also sees female conquests too.

[Isgrimnur]

Federal prosecutors in New York and Washington resign after refusing to drop Adams charges

The top federal prosecutor in New York and two senior federal prosecutors in Washington have resigned after refusing to follow a Justice Department order to drop the corruption charges against New York City mayor Eric Adams, multiple officials said Thursday.
...
Danielle R. Sassoon, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced her resignation in a brief statement to colleagues on Thursday, the senior official said.
...
John Keller, the acting head of the Public Integrity Section, refused to drop the Adams case and resigned, two sources said. Three other members of the section also resigned.

Kevin Driscoll, the acting head of the department's criminal division, which oversees federal criminal cases nationwide, also refused to drop the charges and resigned.

After Sassoon informed Bove of her resignation, he sent her a blistering 8-page letter in which he blasted her refusal to immediately drop the charges. Bove also placed at least two other prosecutors who worked on the case on leave, according to the letter, which was obtained by NBC News.

[LawBeefaroni]

If we are rhyming historically with Weimar Germany or Putins Russia up to a third of democrats will flip and support trump as their corporate sponsors and donors flip.

Adams is one of those situations.

Vichy New York.

[Smoove_B]

I think all three of those attorneys that resigned were temporarily appointees by Trump.

In what must also be a coincidence:

In a sign of increasing cooperation with Donald Trump’s anti-immigration plans, the Republican administration’s hardline so-called “border czar”, Tom Homan, met with New York’s Democratic mayor Eric Adams on Thursday as the White House pushes for more detaining and deporting of immigrants, especially those accused of crimes.

The two resumed discussions on a controversial topic they had talked about in a previous meeting in December – re-establishing an office for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (Ice) at the city’s notorious Rikers Island jail.

Current city law prohibits Ice authorities from operating immigration enforcement out of a facility on city department of corrections property, such as detaining and possibly deporting immigrants from the jail.

Despite this, Adams’ office issued a statement later on Thursday afternoon saying: “We are now working on implementing an executive order that will reestablish the ability for Ice agents to operate on Rikers Island – as was the case for 20 years.”

The Ice office at Rikers was shut down by previous Democratic mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015.

I saw some comment elsewhere suggesting this is all part of the plan to get Adams elected governor in NY state so he can pardon Trump for NY state crimes. Feels about right.

[Enough]

I think all three of those attorneys that resigned were temporarily appointees by Trump.

In what must also be a coincidence:

In a sign of increasing cooperation with Donald Trump’s anti-immigration plans, the Republican administration’s hardline so-called “border czar”, Tom Homan, met with New York’s Democratic mayor Eric Adams on Thursday as the White House pushes for more detaining and deporting of immigrants, especially those accused of crimes.

The two resumed discussions on a controversial topic they had talked about in a previous meeting in December – re-establishing an office for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (Ice) at the city’s notorious Rikers Island jail.

Current city law prohibits Ice authorities from operating immigration enforcement out of a facility on city department of corrections property, such as detaining and possibly deporting immigrants from the jail.

Despite this, Adams’ office issued a statement later on Thursday afternoon saying: “We are now working on implementing an executive order that will reestablish the ability for Ice agents to operate on Rikers Island – as was the case for 20 years.”

The Ice office at Rikers was shut down by previous Democratic mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015.

I saw some comment elsewhere suggesting this is all part of the plan to get Adams elected governor in NY state so he can pardon Trump for NY state crimes. Feels about right.

Ugh, you probably are correct.