Early Thursday morning, nearly a dozen federal agents, dressed in business attire, arrived at Mayor Eric Adams’ residence, Gracie Mansion, to conduct a search just hours after he became the first New York City mayor to be indicted in a federal investigation.
The agents, carrying briefcases and large bags, entered the mansion shortly before 6 a.m. At least two SUVs, with “Federal Law Enforcement” parking placards displayed on the dashboards, were spotted outside. Additionally, another black SUV, resembling a prisoner transport vehicle with a steel partition visible between the front and back seats, was seen pulling into the property under cover of darkness, according to photos obtained by The New York Post.
Alex Spiro, Adams’ attorney, criticized the search, describing it as a “spectacle.”
“Federal agents appeared this morning at Gracie Mansion in an effort to create a spectacle (again) and take Mayor Adams’ phone (again),” Spiro said in a statement provided to The Post. He also clarified, “He has not been arrested and looks forward to his day in court.”
Spiro added that although the feds took a phone, “we would have happily turned it in.”
In response to the unfolding situation, the NYPD quickly set up barricades outside the mayor’s home late Wednesday, following the news of Adams’ indictment by a grand jury. The charges are part of an ongoing federal investigation, with the indictment expected to be made public by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, on Thursday, according to sources.
Despite the law enforcement activity outside Gracie Mansion, sources noted that Adams was not expected to surrender until early next week.
As of early Thursday, the specific details of the indictment remained unclear, though it is believed to be linked to accusations involving the Turkish government allegedly funneling money into Adams’ mayoral campaign in exchange for approval of the Turkish Consulate in Manhattan, sources said.
Adams, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, remained defiant, stating, “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,” he declared.
In a follow-up video, Adams emphasized that he would not resign and promised to “fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
“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,” Adams 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.”
Sources close to the mayor indicated on Thursday that Adams has received significant behind-the-scenes support.
Source: The New York Post
