JUST IN: New York City Mayor Eric Adams Pleads Not Guilty in Corruption Case

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) pled not guilty in federal court on Friday, one day after prosecutors unsealed an indictment against him for his alleged involvement in a foreign influence and corruption scandal.

Adams has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals, one count of wire fraud, one count of bribery, and two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national.

According to the indictment, Adams sought and accepted “improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.”

In exchange for the campaign contributions and other gifts given to him by the Turks, Adams is accused of  pressuring “the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) ‘to facilitate the opening of a new Turkish consular building-a 36-story skyscraper without a fire inspection, in time for a high-profile visit by Turkey’s president.”

On Wednesday, after it was announced that Adams would face criminal charges, the mayor released a video statement in which he said “it is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes.”

“If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies. But they would not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target, and a target I became,” he continued. “For months, leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty. Just this past week, they searched the home of our new police commissioner, looking for documents from 20 years ago. Just one week after he joined my administration. Enough! I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit.”