Following the unsealing of a 57-page indictment against New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, Southern District Court of New York Attorney, Damian Williams has delivered a news conference in which he called Adams’ alleged misconduct a “grave breach of the public’s trust.”
Detailing the charges against Adams, Williams said, “Year after year after year, he kept the public in the dark.”
“I want to make three things crystal clear,” he said.
“First, the conduct alleged in the indictment, the foreign money, the corporate money, the bribery, the years of concealment, is a grave breach of the public’s trust. Public office is a privilege.
“We allege that Mayor Adams abused that privilege and broke the laws that are designed to ensure that officials like him serve the people, not the highest bidder, not a foreign bidder, and certainly not a foreign power. These are bright red lines, and we allege that the Mayor crossed them again and again for years. That is the only reason we are here today.”
Damian Williams
“Second, this investigation continues, we continue to dig and we will hold more people accountable,” he vowed.
“And I encourage anyone with information to come forward and to do so before it is too late,” he added.
And third, he asserted that the Southern District of New York remains committed to rooting out corruption without fear or favor and without regard to partisan politics.
“We are not focused on the right or the left, we are focused only on right and wrong. That is our duty and we will fulfill it now.”
Damian Williams
Speaking at the press conference, New York City’s department of investigations Commissioner, Jocelyn Stauber remarked that it was the first time in New York City’s modern history that criminal charges have been announced against a sitting Mayor.
“As our highest elected official, the mayor should set the standard for all of city government and exemplify the integrity, transparency and dedication to serving the public that all New Yorkers deserve.
“Instead, the indictment unsealed today alleges that Mayor Adams abused his power and position for nearly a decade as Brooklyn borough President and as mayor to enrich himself and his mayoral campaigns as charged.”
Jocelyn Stauber
Stauber claimed that a fair investigation was carried out.
“We handled this investigation as we would any other, following the facts and seeking to hold wrongdoers accountable no matter their role or title,” she averred.
She added, “Our unique access to city records and expertise in matters of city government make us a critical partner in the fight to root out corruption.”
Meanwhile, at his own press conference at his Gracie Mansion residence, Eric Adams remained defiant.
“It’s an unfortunate day. And it’s a painful day … But inside all of that is a day when we will finally reveal why, for 10 months, I’ve gone through this. And I look forward to defending myself.”
Eric Adams
He maintained his innocence, saying, “Everyone who knows me knows that I follow campaign rules and I follow the law.”
When asked by reporters whether he believed the case against him was politically motivated, Adams remarked that people should question the federal officials.
House Minority Leader Reacts To Adams’ Indictment
In a statement released on Thursday, Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, reacted to Eric Adams’s indictment.
“The indictment of a sitting Mayor is a serious and sober moment for New York City,” he noted.
He added that like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
“That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America,” Jeffries stated.
“A jury of the Mayor’s peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination. In the meantime, I pray for the well-being of our great city.”
Hakeem Jeffries
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