mayor of new york city eric adamsTrump, convicted of federal fraud, bribery and campaign finance charges, says the Justice Department’s case against him is “completely false, based on lies” and that it is his defense of the White House’s handling of the crisis at the southern border. Has come in response to criticism.
While the indictment contains serious allegations that he may have stolen $10 million from taxpayers’ pockets, the investigation may have started as a political vendetta, according to David Gelman, a New Jersey-based defense attorney who is monitoring the case.
“From reading this indictment it doesn’t seem like they actually started their investigation until 2021, 2022, when they raided the house of the Eric Adams fundraiser,” he told Fox News Digital. FBI raid in November 2023 Brianna Suggs, A top fundraiser for the mayor’s 2021 campaign.
Feds seize Eric Adams’ phone after NYC mayor’s indictment
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference on September 26, 2024. He has been convicted on federal charges following an investigation into alleged campaign corruption. (Rashid Omar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
“Now, what happens in 2021 and 2022? That’s when Eric Adams criticized the Biden administration,” Gellman said.
The raid on Suggs came as Adams was visiting Washington, D.C., to express concerns about the migrant crisis. He cut his journey short.
Adams has been a vocal critic of the White House border policy since migrants began arriving in New York in large numbers, straining the city’s asylum system and reportedly leading to a “wave of migrant crime”, including phone snatchings and other thefts.
But investigators said Thursday that politics played no role in building their case.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams convicted
An NYPD officer stands outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
“We’re not focusing on the right or the left,” Damien Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said during a news briefing Thursday. “We are focused on right and wrong. This is our duty and we will fulfill it.”
In response to Adams’s claims of political harassment, a spokesperson for his office declined to comment further.
Whatever the motive, Gellman said Adams faces serious allegations of allegedly defrauding taxpayers, taking bribes and influence peddling.
Adams office slams FBI employee for ‘improperly leaking details’ of corruption probe
WATCH: NYC Mayor Adams calls pending federal charges ‘completely false’
He also said he was surprised by how serious the allegations against the former NYPD captain are, if they are true. So much so that Williams dismissed the mayor’s alleged efforts to cover his tracks during his remarks as a “clumsy cover-up.”
Gelman said, “I am honestly amazed by Adams at how careless he and his subordinates were.” “If you’re someone who knows anything about police work and anything in government, you would think that you would have a better understanding of how to cover up and cover up things. But I think that’s not the case. “
Damien Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks to reporters. During a news briefing on Thursday, he denied that the federal investigation of New York Mayor Eric Adams was politically motivated. (U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York)
Anthony Capozzolo, a former federal prosecutor who handled public corruption cases in the neighboring Eastern District of New York, said the “shocking” charges against Adams were reminiscent of the 1800s corruption of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.
“Many cases involving corruption and illegal benefits to insiders are not associated with a risk to public safety, but this case reflects the fact that Adams is using it to address security concerns about the Turkish diplomatic building. “We appear to be willing to open the doors in an expedited manner at the request of Turkish government officials,” he said. “It was a tall building – for prosecutors it prevents the defense from trying to downplay the seriousness of the crime, another common tactic by defense lawyers in corruption cases.”
Adams has portrayed the investigation as a smear campaign designed to undermine his credibility and make him appear guilty months before charges were filed.
He has condemned leaks from the traditionally tight-lipped SDNY office and questioned the legality of the raid on several members of his inner circle.
“Just last week, they searched the home of our new police commissioner and looked for documents from 20 years ago, just a week after he joined my administration,” he said. “Enough. I will fight these injustices with all my strength and soul.”
Reading indictment,
The FBI seized his cellphone Thursday morning after he returned to Gracie Mansion, the city’s mayoral residence, but Adams has not yet been taken into custody.
The mayor is now charged with receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bribery, one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals and one count of soliciting and accepting bribes.
If convicted of all charges, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison.
Click here to get the Fox News app
According to the indictment, federal investigators were investigating whether Adams’s 2021 and 2025 mayoral campaigns conspired with Turkish officials, business leaders and other entities to illegally raise funds. Court documents allege wrongdoing dating back to 2016.
