Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on charges connected to a federal probe that has shaken his administration, sources told The Post.
The historic indictment is expected to be unsealed Thursday by US Attorney Damian Williams, according to the sources. The news was first reported by the New York Times.
Adams will surrender to authorities early next week, sources said.
Details about the exact accusations remained unclear, but are believed to be connected to an alleged kickback scheme involving the Turkish government illegally funneling money into his mayoral campaign, according to sources.
It’s also uncertain how the indictment is related to a sweeping set of Sept. 4 raids that targeted several high-profile Adams administration officials, which sent City Hall into a weeks-long tailspin as news reports emerged of investigations focused on alleged corruption by the mayor’s inner circle.
The indictment’s unveiling will come after federal prosecutors recently
demanded City Hall cough up all communications between the Adams administration, Turkey and five other foreign countries amid the long-running probe.
Adams’ 2021 campaign had previously been served with subpoenas for information on its campaign donations — specifically those that had ties to Turkey, sources told The Post.
Sprawling record requests then came in a July batch of subpoenas seeking details on all interactions between admin officials and Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan, the sources added.
Adams, City Hall and his election
committee were also hit with grand jury subpoenas that same month — with the feds obtaining text messages, documents and other communications and materials.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York had remained tight-lipped about the probe ever since it burst into view last November with a
dramatic raid on top Adams fundraiser Brianna Suggs’ Brooklyn home.
The raid — which sought evidence of straw donor kickbacks by the Turkish government and the Williamsburg-based construction company KSK Construction Group into Adams’ mayoral campaign — prompted Hizzoner to scurry back from a much-publicized White House meeting on the migrant crisis.
The feds subsequently
raided the homes of City Hall staffer Rana Abbasova and Cenk Ocal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who worked on Adams’ transition team.
A week later, Adams had his own phones and iPad
seized by FBI agents on the streets of Manhattan.
Meanwhile, another aide, Winnie Greco, had her
Bronx home raided by FBI agents in February, though it wasn’t clear at the time whether it was tied to the Turkey probe.
Hizzoner has long denied any wrongdoing.
“It takes a great deal of discipline to not say something when you know you’ve done nothing wrong,” Adams
said in August when asked about the mayoral campaign investigation.
The indictment marks the first time a New York City mayor has faced charges in 170 years, according to
historical research done by THE CITY.
“If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
nypost.com
