Eric Adams

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City from 2022 to 2025, faced multiple investigations and a federal indictment during his term. In September 2024, Adams was indicted on five federal counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, two counts of soliciting illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and bribery. Prosecutors alleged that beginning in 2016, Adams accepted over $100,000 in illegal gifts, including luxury travel and hotel stays, from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors, such as pressuring the FDNY to approve a consulate building despite fire safety concerns. Adams pleaded not guilty. In February 2025, following the transition to the Trump administration, the Department of Justice directed prosecutors to drop the case, citing concerns that the prosecution interfered with the mayor's ability to assist in federal immigration crackdowns. Several senior prosecutors resigned in protest of this instruction. In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case with prejudice, preventing it from being refiled. The judge emphasized that the dismissal was not an assessment of Adams's innocence or guilt and criticized the appearance of a bargain involving immigration policy concessions. Beyond the federal case, Adams's administration was the target of several other corruption inquiries involving his inner circle, though Adams himself faced no other formal charges. Several close aides and associates were indicted or resigned amid investigations into pay-to-play politics, witness tampering, and bribery. Earlier in his career, in 2010, Adams was criticized by the New York state inspector general for failures regarding casino contract ethics and making false statements to investigators. Adams withdrew from his reelection campaign in September 2025.