NYC Mayor Eric Adams Hammers Biden Over Timing of Indictment By Branding Move 'Suspect' and Declaring: 'I Did Not Break the Law — I Did Nothing Wrong'
Adams faces several criminal charges.
Dec. 19 2024, Published 1:29 p.m. ET
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has lashed out at the Biden administration — claiming the president is targeting him with false charges as payback for his political opposition.
Adams said his push against President Biden's immigration policies put him in the crosshairs, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
He slammed the Biden administration during an interview with Fox News.
In September, Adams pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges, including bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The 64-year-old has vehemently denied the charges and has maintained his innocence.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Adams was indicted on allegations that he accepted illegal campaign funds and thousands of dollars in luxury travel benefits from Turkish businessmen and an official in exchange for his influence as mayor.
But in a new interview, the mayor said none of this would be happening if he did not disagree with Biden: "I clearly believe when you look at aspects of the indictment. If you look at the timing of this and the manner. (And) the leaks... there were so many leaks.
"Just the manner in which this was done is clearly suspect to me."
The New York City mayor has claimed President Biden is purposely going after him.
Once friends and close allies, the relationship between Adams and Biden broke apart after the New York leader publicly slammed the president and his immigration policies amid an influx of immigrants flooding New York.
Not long after that, Adams found himself facing criminal charges.
He has denied any wrongdoing, telling Fox News Channel’s The Story with Martha MacCallum: "I did not break the law. I did nothing wrong — that is how I live my life. And that is how I'm going to continue to live my life."
Adams faces a broad corruption investigation involving himself, aides and Turkish Airline executives.
Adams speculated he might have been set up to take a fall from insiders who passed information along to authorities and the media.
He continued: "I’m a former law enforcement officer. When you're conducting an investigation, you're not leaking out repeatedly information that clearly only the justice department is aware of."
He sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum on "The Story."
In the indictment, Adams is accused of pressuring New York City Fire Department officials to approve a Turkish consulate building without a safety inspection in exchange for benefits such as discounted flights, luxury hotels, and meals.
Prosecutors also say he misused $10 million in public funds.
Adams is also accused of using straw donors to take in illegal foreign donations and matching them with city funds that were supposed to be for small-dollar contributions from residents.
Adams has vowed to keep fighting the charges.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement at the time: "Adams abused his position as this City’s highest elected official, and before that as Brooklyn Borough President, to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions.
"By allegedly taking improper and illegal benefits from foreign nationals — including to allow a Manhattan skyscraper to open without a fire inspection — Adams put the interests of his benefactors, including a foreign official, above those of his constituents."
At a separate news conference following the indictment, Adams said: "I follow the rules, I follow the federal law, I do not do anything that's going to participate in illegal campaign activity."
The former police officer was elected mayor of NYC nearly three years ago and prosecutors say his misconduct began in 2014, while he was Brooklyn Borough president, and carried on during his election campaign for mayor and while in office.
Since the indictment was announced, Adams has faced a growing number of calls from members of his own party to resign.
However, he plans to fight the charges and said he's not going anywhere: "No American should go through what I'm going through right now. This country believes in fairness, and what I'm experiencing is not only a professional tragedy, it's a personal tragedy."
