N.Y.C. Mayor Eric Adams Indicted amid Federal Corruption Investigation

After months of federal investigations and recent high-ranking resignations, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal criminal charges, a source told PEOPLE.

According to The New York Times, which first reported the news, the indictment is sealed as of the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 25, so the charges remain unclear. Adams, 64, will become the first New York City mayor to face criminal charges while sitting in office. Federal prosecutors, the FBI and New York City's Department of Investigation are expected to announce details on Thursday, reports the Times.

“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target—and a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit," Adams said in a statement to PEOPLE.

In a speech Wednesday night, Adams, who retained lawyer Alex Spiro in the federal case, said he will not resign and said the charges "would be entirely false, based on lies." He later added, "If I am charged, I know I am innocent. I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth."

The indictment comes after federal agents seized Adams’ phones and iPad in November and after prosecutors issued subpoenas in July involving his 2021 mayoral run, according to the Associated Press in August. 

Adams and Fabien Levy, the mayor’s head of communications, have not yet commented on the indictment. The last time Adams publicly mentioned the investigations was during a Sept. 17 in-person press conference.

“I’m focusing on protecting the people of this city, and the investigations will take care of themselves,” Adams said at the time. “And that is not where my time is going to be consumed by answering the same questions over and over again. We know what you know.”

That statement came five days after Adams accepted the resignation of New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban, who was among four of they mayor’s administration officials whose homes were raided by federal agents on Sept. 4. 

”[Caban] concluded that this is the best decision at this time,” Adams said on Sept. 12. “I respect his decision and I wish him well. Commissioner Caban dedicated his life to making our city safer and we saw a drop in crime for 13 of the 14 months he served as commissioner.”

Agents also raided the homes of Schools Chancellor David Banks, Deputy Mayor Philip Banks and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. 

This continued a string of raids on homes over the past year of people surrounding Adams’ political orbit since he became mayor in 2022, some of whom he’d known before he took on the mayoral role.

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Adams previously addressed New Yorkers at a Sept. 10 virtual Q&A. 

“The job I have as your mayor is the only one I've ever wanted,” he said. “I grew up with injustice, and I set out to make sure that New York City was a better, fairer place. … I want to assure you that I feel the awesome weight of that responsibility with my whole heart, and I would never do anything to betray your trust.”

The mayor continued: “I realize that these investigations have raised a lot of questions and a lot of concerns. There are some serious matters that must be addressed. I was surprised, as you, to learn of these inquiries, and I take them extremely seriously. I spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, and so every member of the administration knows my expectation that we must all follow the law.” 

“From here, I will share with you what I can and what I can't,” Adams explained. “Let me be clear. I and this administration are focused on New Yorkers, not investigators.”