Who is Eric Adams? New York City mayor faces charges alleging he took bribes

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on Thursday on federal charges that he allegedly took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources.

The charges marked a stunning fall for Adams, a former police captain who made a commitment to law-and-order a cornerstone of his political platform even as multiple federal investigations tightened around him and members of his inner circle.

Adams has consistently said he is cooperating with the investigations and has denied wrongdoing through the steady drumbeat of searches, seizures and departures of top members of his administration.

But as news of the indictment spread on Wednesday night, he began to mount a defiant defence that he was being targeted by the federal government for his political views, adopting language similar to former US president Donald Trump and other politicians accused of crimes.

“I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target – and a target I became,” Adams said in a videotaped speech released on Wednesday night. He said the case is “based on lies”.