Mixed reaction in Caribbean community to Adams’s indictment on bribery, campaign finance offenses

The Caribbean community in New York has expressed mixed reaction to Thursday’s indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams on federal bribery and campaign finance offences.

Damian Williams, the Jamaican-American United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, the assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced on Thursday the unsealing of the indictment charging Adams, 64, with bribery, campaign finance and conspiracy offenses.  The case is assigned to US District Judge Dale E. Ho.

“My opinion on the mayor’s indictment is that it’s a serious blow to his mayoralty and the Black American legacy,” Delroy Wright, a Jamaican-born, long-standing, pre-eminent community leader and entrepreneur in Flatbush, Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life exclusively on Thursday. “However, I believe his cry that he was targeted. I also believe he puts the bullseye on his own back. He did so when he made comments calling out the president (Joe Biden) on the immigrant issues.

“I believe he has a legitimate cause in calling for help from Washington to provide more resources to the city to mitigate the immigrants’ crisis, but he erred in criticizing Biden personally for lack thereof,” he added. “Rather, he should direct his comment towards the federal government. It’s political death, in this political climate, for a member of the same party to call out a fellow member, much less calling out the leader of such party. On that note, I believed him when he said he was targeted. It’s a natural response. So, based on his action and the reaction of the Washington establishment, it is not farfetched to believe that he was targeted.

“If law enforcers’ relationship become sour with you, they can launch an investigation or enforcement at any time,” Wright continued. “And so, it’s not farfetched to fathom the mayor as a victim of this. It is well known that if the FBI decides to dig, they most likely will dig until they find something. If need, they will revert to law on the books that’s never enforced for a hundred years.

“Now the legal process starts,” he said. “The constitution is now in play, for which ‘you are innocent until proven guilty’. This begs the question: Is the judicial system a perfect one? Well, let me put that question in perspective. Mayor Adams is a Black man and the mayor of the most powerful city in America. So was Marcus Garvey (the late Jamaican-born nationalist leader). He was a Black leader of one of the most powerful organizations in America. The Central Park 5 were Black and Latino. Plus, we are aware of the need for the NY State Justice Task Force, among similar organizations.”

Wright noted that Mayor Adams asked that “we reserve justice. We should, because we are aware that he is not only a Blackman. We also realized that he is a Democrat, and our sentiment of the Democratic Party is well known – that when charges or accusations levelled against a fellow Democrat, they act spineless. This is contrary to the Republican Party. Trump is in deeper trouble than Adams; yet, today, he is the most relevant of the Republican Party.

“On the other hand, the accused has a right to be judged by his or her peers,” he said. “In order to be judged by his or her peers, judgement has to be reserved until evidence and defense are presented.

“If this mayor steps down before he is judged, it will be a big setback to Black people empowerment,” Wright added. “The funny thing is, there are two theatres this charge can be mitigated: The political and the judiciary. Trump has successfully used the political theatre to survive. Adams can use the same.”

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke.  Office of Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, said that Thursday marked “a solemn chapter in the history of New York City.

“In time, Mayor Adams will confront a jury of his peers,” she told Caribbean Life. “As we ready for their verdict, we must not fail to remember that every American, from working people to public officials, are entitled to the presumption of their innocence when accused of wrongdoing. And so, I pray the mayor faces a fair trial, and I pray its judgment is centered in justice.

“New Yorkers are defined by our resilience and ability to persevere through any obstacle that has come our way,” she added. “I am certain that, like all the rest, this too shall pass.”

US House of Representatives’ Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whose 8th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens constitutes large concentrations of Caribbean immigrants, said the indictment of a sitting mayor is “a serious and sober moment for New York City.

“Like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” he said. “That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America.

“A jury of the mayor’s peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination,” Jeffries added. “In the meantime, I pray for the well-being of our great City.”

Crystal Hudson. Crystal Hudson’s campaign

But New York City Council Members Crystal Hudson and Chris Banks, and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso urged Adams to resign immediately.

“The more than 8 million New Yorkers in our city need a leader who can focus on building housing, cleaning our streets, educating our children and keeping our communities safe,” said Hudson, representative for the 35th Council District in Brooklyn, who traces her roots to Jamaica.

“This mayor will have only one focus as this indictment plays out, one that will single handedly inhibit his ability to govern,” added Hudson, whose district encompasses the neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill and Fort Greene. “We deserve better. He must resign immediately.”

Banks, the son of a Trinidadian immigrant mother, represents the 42nd Council District in Brooklyn, including the communities of East New York, Starrett City, Brownsville, Canarsie, Remsen Village and East Flatbush.

He said the charges outlined in the indictment of Mayor Adams are “hugely disappointing, troubling, and extremely concerning.

“As this comes on the heels of additional device confiscations this morning, recent raids and investigations of several high-level representatives of the administration, and the recent resignations of several commissioners and senior staff in the Adams administration, we are watching a true tragedy play out in real time,” Banks said.

“As a government official, our first responsibility is to earn and secure the public’ s trust,” he added. “While we are all innocent until proven guilty, the five counts outlined in this indictment represent a serious violation of the public trust of New Yorkers.

“As such, I have no confidence in the mayor’s ability to effectively run City government while addressing the charges against him, and I strongly believe that in the best interest of the City, Mayor Adams should resign,” Banks continued.

Reynoso, the son of Dominican Republic immigrants, described the accusations against Mayor Adams as “serious, substantial and pervasive.

“He’s going to need to put every ounce of his being into protecting himself from these charges at a time when every ounce of his being should be going to the protection of the people of New York City,” he said.

“The mayor cannot lead this city, nor can he, in good faith, ask the public to put their trust in him,” Reynoso added. “I ask the mayor to put New Yorkers first and resign.”

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams speaks after the unsealing of an indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was charged with bribery and illegally soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national, during a press conference in New York City, U.S. Sept. 26, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Williams, the son of a Jamaican-born physician said: “As alleged, Mayor Adams abused his position as this City’s highest elected official, and before that as Brooklyn Borough President, to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions.

“By allegedly taking improper and illegal benefits from foreign nationals—including to allow a Manhattan skyscraper to open without a fire inspection—Adams put the interests of his benefactors, including a foreign official, above those of his constituents,” he said. “This Office and our partners at the FBI and DOI will continue to pursue corruption anywhere in this City, especially when that corruption takes the form of illegal foreign influence on our democratic system.”

Dennehy said: “Today’s indictment serves as a sobering moment but also sends a powerful message to every elected official in this country: public service is a profound responsibility, and it should be a noble calling.

“When that’s perverted by greed and dishonesty, it robs us of our trust,” he said. “This is a reminder that no one is above the law or beyond reproach.”

Strauber said: “The indictment unsealed today alleges that Mayor Adams abused his power and position for nearly a decade, obtaining personal benefits and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and others, giving them undue influence over him.

“As charged, this illegal conduct compromised his integrity as an elected official and New Yorkers expect better,” she said. “I thank the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their commitment to partner with DOI to root out corruption in City government.”

As alleged in the indictment, “for nearly a decade, Adams has used his prominent positions in New York City government to obtain illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel.

“Adams solicited and accepted these benefits from foreign nationals, businessmen, and others,” the indictment says. “Adams then pressured the New York City Fire Department to facilitate the opening of a foreign government’s Manhattan skyscraper that had not passed a fire inspection.  To conceal this criminal conduct, Adams took steps to hide his receipt of improper benefits from the public and law enforcement.”

The indictment says that, in 2014, Adams was elected Brooklyn Borough President and that, thereafter, he “sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign business people and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.

“By 2018, Adams — who had by then made known his plans to run for Mayor of New York City — not only accepted, but sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign from foreign nationals, as well as other things of value,” the indictment says. “As Adams’s prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash-in on their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when it became clear that Adams would become New York City’s mayor in 2021. Adams agreed, providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received.”

After his inauguration as Mayor of New York City, the indictment says Adams soon began preparing for his next election, “including by planning to solicit more illegal contributions and granting requests from those who supported his 2021 mayoral campaign with such donations.

“Adams sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions in the form of ‘nominee’ or ‘straw’ contributions, meaning that the true contributors conveyed their money through nominal donors, who falsely certified they were contributing their own money,” the indictment says. “By smuggling their contributions to Adams through US-based straw donors, Adams’s overseas contributors defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on US elections.”

The indictment says that wealthy individuals evaded laws designed to limit their power over elected officials by restricting the amount any one person can donate to a candidate.

It also says that businesses circumvented New York City’s ban on corporate contributions by funneling their donations through multiple employees, “frustrating a law which seeks to reduce corporate power in politics.”

The indictment says that Adams “increased his fundraising by accepting these concealed, illegal donations—at the cost of giving his secret patrons the undue influence over him that the law tries to prevent.

“Adams compounded his gains from the straw contributions by using them to defraud New York City and steal public funds,” it says, adding that New York City has a matching funds program that matches small-dollar contributions from individual City residents with up to eight times their amount in public funds, to give New Yorkers a greater voice in elections.

The indictment says Adams’s campaigns applied for matching funds based on known straw donations, “fraudulently obtaining as much as US$2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution.

“Adams and those working at his direction falsely certified compliance with applicable campaign finance regulations, despite Adams’s repeated acceptance of straw donations, relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding,” the indictment says. “As a result of those false certifications, Adams’s 2021 mayoral campaign received more than US$10,000,000 in public funds.”

The indictment also claims that Adams “sought and received other improper benefits from some of the same co-conspirators who funneled straw donations to his campaigns.”

In particular, it says a senior official in the Turkish diplomatic establishment (the Turkish Official), who facilitated many straw donations to Adams, also arranged for Adams and his companions to receive free or discounted travel on Turkey’s national airline (the Turkish Airline), which is owned in significant part by the Turkish Government, to destinations including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary and Turkey itself.

The indictment claims that the Turkish Official and other Turkish nationals further arranged for Adams and his companions to receive, among other things, free rooms at “opulent hotels, free meals at high-end restaurants, and free luxurious entertainment — while in Turkey.”

In addition, the indictment says Adams and others working at his direction “repeatedly took steps to shield his solicitation and acceptance of these benefits from public scrutiny.

“Adams did not disclose the travel benefits he had obtained in annual financial disclosures he was required to file as a New York City employee,” it says “Sometimes, Adams agreed to pay a nominal fee, to create the appearance of having paid for travel that was heavily discounted.

“Other times, Adams created and instructed others to create fake paper trails, falsely suggesting that he had paid, or planned to pay, for travel benefits that were actually free,” it adds. “And Adams deleted messages with others involved in his misconduct, including, in one instance, assuring a co-conspirator in writing that he ‘always’ deleted her messages.

The indictment says that, in September 2021, the Turkish Official told Adams that it was his turn to repay the Turkish Official, by pressuring the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to facilitate the opening of a new Turkish consular building—a 36-story skyscraper—without a fire inspection, in time for a high-profile visit by Turkey’s president.

At the time, the indictment says that the building would have failed an FDNY inspection.

In exchange for free travel and other travel-related bribes in 2021 and 2022 arranged by the Turkish Official, the indictment claims that “Adams did as instructed.”

“Because of Adams’s pressure on the FDNY, the FDNY official responsible for the FDNY’s assessment of the skyscraper’s fire safety was told that he would lose his job if he failed to acquiesce, and, after Adams intervened, the skyscraper opened as requested by the Turkish Official,” it says.

Williams said Adams is charged with one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and commit wire fraud and bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

But Adams told a press conference on Thursday: “We are not surprised. We expected this. This is not surprising to us at all, the actions that have unfolded over the last 10 months, the leaks, the commentary, the demonizing.”

He also urged the public to “wait to hear our side to this narrative.

“Based on what I read, if it’s campaign violations, I know I don’t violate the campaigns,” the mayor said. “If it’s foreign donors, I know I don’t take money from foreign donors, and I verbalize that to the team both in writing and communication, and we will continue to do that.”

At the same time, Adams said he has no intention of resigning, stating: “From here, my attorneys will take care of the case, so I can take care of the city. My day to day will not change.”

Before the unsealing indictment on Thursday, Adams said the day before, in a video statement: “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 added.