A grand jury has formally charged the mayor of the richest city in the most affluent nation in history with federal bribery and wire fraud offenses. In response, Democratic New York Mayor Eric Adams has expressed strong sentiments towards those who are criticizing him. I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target, and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement
“I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth. New Yorkers know my story. They know where I come from. I have been fighting injustice my entire life,” he continued.
“That fight has continued as your mayor. Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics.”
Adams firmly asserts his innocence, claiming that the allegations leveled against him are founded on falsehoods.
Indicting the mayor of New York is a big deal. You’d expect prosecutors would take that step only when they have irrefutable evidence. But the bribery charges against Eric Adams fail to match the hype, write James Burnham and Yaakov Rothhttps://t.co/2JSj4N5jOz
— Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) September 30, 2024
The Democratic mayor of the most liberal city in America now appears to echo sentiments similar to those of Donald Trump. Like Trump, he may possess some validity in his assertions. Adams is confronted with five charges, including bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting contributions from a foreign entity. Despite extensive investigations involving the examination of his electronic devices and interviews with his staff, the allegations against him are not particularly robust. Given the gravity of the indictment against a sitting mayor, one would anticipate that federal prosecutors would not jeopardize their careers and reputations unless they were confident of a decisive case, complete with a clear quid pro quo and a documented trail. However, while the 57-page indictment presents numerous instances of “quid,” there is a notable lack of evidence demonstrating that Adams fulfilled the “quo.”
Attorneys James Burnham and Yaakov Roth explained in the Wall Street Journal:
“The indictment spends many paragraphs discussing benefits received—many of them travel and entertainment—but is light on official actions promised in return. Stripped of its innuendo, the indictment recounts a man who lived the high life while serving as Brooklyn borough president and mayor. Color us shocked that the celebrity mayor of the Big Apple encounters wealthy benefactors eager to pick up the check.”
