For months, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, refused to criticize federal authorities investigating his administration.
No more.
On the same day news of the corruption charges broke, Mr. Adams defiantly suggested, without providing evidence, that U.S. prosecutors were pursuing him because he criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
“When, despite our pleas, the federal government did nothing because the shelter system was overburdened with no relief due to broken immigration policies, I wanted to support the people of New York over political parties and politics. “I prioritized that,” he said. “I always knew that if I stood my ground for you, I would become a target. And I became a target myself.”
Adams’ accusations mark a sudden turnaround for the former police chief turned politician whose commitment to law and order was his calling card throughout his tenure.
The rhetoric was similar to that of other politicians facing various charges.
After being indicted on corruption charges by the same U.S. attorney who indicted Adams, former Sen. Bob Menendez claimed that those who prosecuted Adams had “repeatedly tried to silence my voice” and “been behind the scenes.” He blamed it on the “forces.”
Former President Donald Trump has blamed the lawsuits and criminal charges against him on a political “witch hunt” orchestrated by Democrats.
Mr. Adams repeated some of that rhetoric after he was indicted on charges of accepting illegal campaign contributions and free travel benefits from Turkish officials and businessmen seeking to buy his influence.
He suggested that prosecutors had been instructed to smear him. By whom, he did not say.
“We should be asking, ‘Who gave us the instructions to do what we’ve seen over the last 10 months?'” Adams told reporters.
The White House pushed back on the idea that Adams was targeted over complaints about not getting enough help from the federal government to deal with the influx of international migrants. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the administration had nothing to do with the Justice Department’s decision to prosecute.
“The president made it clear even when he was running in 2020 that he was going to make sure that the Justice Department was independent and that the Justice Department was handling this case independently. ” she said.
Before he was charged, Adams said he had consistently cooperated with investigations and stressed that he was following the law. He laughed off questions from reporters about various aspects of the investigation. And he refused to criticize investigators, saying that as a former law enforcement officer he understands that they have a job to do.
Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School in New York who specializes in government ethics, described Adams’ current defense as “standard practice.”
“He’s not saying anything about the charges. He’s just saying the people who made the accusations don’t like him,” he said. “If the facts are against you, move on to something else. If the facts are against you, go after the prosecutor. If the facts are against you, go after the other person.” .”
Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, rejected the idea that the case was political at a press conference announcing the indictment.
“The Southern District of New York remains committed to rooting out corruption without fear or favor and without regard to partisan politics,” Williams said. “We don’t focus on right or left, we just focus on right and wrong.”
Mr. Williams heads a large prosecutor’s office so renowned for its independence that it has long been nicknamed the “Sovereign District.”
Williams, who was appointed by Biden in 2021, has overseen several other high-profile prosecutions. His office won the case against Menendez and is currently awaiting a verdict. Sean “Diddy” Combs was recently charged with sex trafficking, but he maintains his innocence and is awaiting trial. Sam Bankman Freed, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur who was convicted of fraud, was also indicted.
The mayor and his attorney, Alex Spiro, have not yet presented evidence to support the theory that Adams was being persecuted as a thorn in Biden’s side.
On Wednesday night, hours before the first reports of the indictment emerged, Adams spent part of the evening attending a reception for United Nations General Assembly leaders hosted by Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
Mr. Adams’ suggestion that the charges were politically motivated drew comparisons to Mr. Trump. The former president told reporters Thursday at an unrelated news conference that he wished Adams well in the case and said he expected charges against the mayor to be forthcoming.
President Trump said, “About a year ago, we talked about how much damage illegal immigrants are doing to our cities, that the federal government should pay us, and that we don’t have to take them in.” I watched him speak.” “And I said, ‘You know what? He will likely be indicted within a year. ”And I was exactly right. ”
