According to sources, New York Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with federal crimes

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on federal crimes, two people familiar with the matter say.

The indictment containing the allegations against Democrat Adams was still sealed late Wednesday night, according to the people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment. The New York Times was the first to report on the charges.

“I always knew that if I stood up for New Yorkers, I would be a target – and I was,” Adams said in a statement that suggested he had not been informed of the charges. “If I am charged, I am innocent and will fight it with all my strength and determination.”

It was not immediately clear when the charges would be made public or when Adams might have to appear in court.

The indictment marks a stunning fall from grace for Adams, a former police captain who won election nearly three years ago to become the second black mayor of the nation’s largest city on a platform that promised a law-and-order approach to reducing crime.

Over the last year, Adams has been increasingly confronted with legal problems, with several Federal investigations into top advisers, leading to a flood of subpoenas, searches and departures of high-ranking individuals and plunging City Hall into crisis.

He had repeatedly stated that he was not aware of any wrongdoing and had promised on Wednesday afternoon to remain in office.

Adams is the first mayor in New York City history to be impeached while in office. If he resigns, he would be replaced by the city’s ombudsman, Jumaane Williams, who would then call a special election.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office. Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening.

Hours before the charges were announced, US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Adams to resign, becoming the first nationally known Democrat to do so. She pointed to the Federal Criminal Police in the mayor’s administration and a series of unexpected departures of high-ranking city officials.

“I don’t see how Mayor Adams can continue to govern New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on the social platform X.

Adams responded with disdain, dismissing Ocasio-Cortez as self-righteous.

The federal investigation into the Adams administration first became public on November 2, 2023, when FBI agents carried out an early morning raid at the Brooklyn home of Adams’ top fundraiser, Brianna Suggs.

At the time, Adams stressed that he was complying with the law and said he would “shocked” whether anyone on his campaign team had acted illegally. “I can’t tell you how many times I start every day by telling my team that we have to follow the law,” he told reporters at the time.

Days later, FBI agents confiscated the mayor’s phones and iPad as he left an event in Manhattan. The interaction was disclosed several days later by the mayor’s attorney.

Then, on September 4, federal investigators seized electronic devices belonging to the police chief, schools chancellor, deputy mayor for public safety, first deputy mayor and other trusted associates of Adams both inside and outside City Hall.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the investigation, but people familiar with elements of the cases described several separate investigations involving high-ranking Adams associates and their relatives, campaign fundraising and possible interference with police and fire departments.

A week after the raids, Police Commissioner Edward Caban announced his resignation, telling officers he did not want the investigation to “create a distraction.” About two weeks later, schools chancellor David Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year.

Adams himself insisted that he would continue to take care of the city’s business and let the investigation take its course.

In the summer, federal prosecutors summoned Adams, his campaign team and City Hall requested information about the mayor’s schedule, his foreign travel and possible ties to the Turkish government.

Adams served for 22 years with the New York City Police Department before entering politics, first as a state senator and then as Brooklyn borough president, a largely ceremonial position.

He was elected mayor in 2021 after defeating a diverse field of Democrats in the primary and then easily defeating Republican Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa in the general election.

After more than two years in office, Adams’ popularity has slipped. While the city has seen an increase in jobs and a decrease in certain crime categories, the administration has been busy finding housing for tens of thousands of international migrants who have overwhelmed the city’s homeless shelters.

In addition, accusations and suspicions against people close to the mayor continued to circulate.

The Manhattan District Attorney filed charges against six people – including a former police captain who was a long-time friend of Adams – for a alleged scheme Funneling tens of thousands of dollars into the mayor’s campaign by manipulating public grant programs in hopes of receiving preferential treatment from the city. Adams was not accused of wrongdoing in this case.

Adams’ former chief building security officer, Eric Ulrich, was charged last year with Acceptance of bribes and improper gifts totaling $150,000 in exchange for political favors, including access to the mayor. Ulrich pleaded not guilty and is fighting the charges.

In February, federal investigators raided two properties owned by a close associate of Adams, Winnie Greco. Greco had raised thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the city’s Chinese American communities and later became his director of Asian affairs. Greco has not commented publicly on the FBI’s searches of her properties and continues to work for the city.

When agents seized former police chief Caban’s electronic devices in early September, they also visited his twin brother, James Caban, a former police officer who runs a nightlife consulting business.

Agents also seized devices from the schools chancellor, his brother Philip Banks, a former NYPD chief who is now deputy mayor for public safety, their brother Terence Banks, who ran a consulting firm that promised to connect businesses with government agencies, and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, David Banks’ partner.

All denied any wrongdoing.

While this investigation was underway, federal authorities also searched the homes of newly appointed interim police commissioner Thomas Donlan and confiscated materials that have nothing to do with his police work. Donlon confirmed the search and said it involved materials he had held for 20 years. He did not elaborate on what the investigation was about, but a person familiar with the investigation said it involved classified documents from when Donlon worked for the FBI. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.