The allegations came as a surprise to many, as Eric Adams, a former police captain, has pledged to uphold law and order. He has repeatedly said he is cooperating with investigations and denies wrongdoing.
As news of the indictment broke on the night of September 25, he began to argue that he was being targeted by the federal government because of his political views. In a videotaped statement on the evening of September 25, Adams said: "I always knew that if I defended the people of New York, I would be a target, and I was a target," adding that the case was "based on lies."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference outside Gracie Mansion on September 26. Photo: AP
From poor childhood to police chief
Adams grew up working-class, one of six children raised by a single mother who once carried a garbage bag full of clothes around with her because she feared her family would be evicted.
At age 15, he was beaten by a police officer after being arrested for trespassing. That traumatic encounter sparked his desire to change the system. Adams joined the New York City Transit Police in 1984 and eventually became an officer with the New York Police Department.
He rose to the rank of captain and co-founded the advocacy group 100 Black Men Concerned with Law Enforcement, which seeks criminal justice reform and denounces police brutality. He retired from the police department in 2006.
Turn to politics
Adams, a Democrat, later won a seat in the state Senate representing a district in Brooklyn. From there, he was elected Brooklyn borough president in 2013, a position he held while launching his mayoral campaign.
His moderate mayoral campaign focused on his rise from a difficult childhood, through the police department, and into politics. Adams was elected mayor in 2021, becoming New York City's second black mayor after David Dinkins.
Facing the challenges of being mayor
He took office as the city was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, with tourism, the economy and the school system facing major challenges and a sense of high crime in the city. Throughout, Adams maintained his commitment to law enforcement.
At one point, some political observers viewed Adams as the archetypal moderate Democrat. But over time, Adams's reputation has plummeted, even as the city recovers from pandemic-related job losses and crime.
He began to be ridiculed for his plans to eradicate rats — a persistent problem in New York City — while repeatedly running into health code violations due to a rat infestation at his Brooklyn home.
His administration has been bogged down in its efforts to house tens of thousands of international migrants, overwhelming the city’s homeless shelters. He has begun imposing limits on the length of stay at shelters for migrants. He has also filed a lawsuit challenging a regulation that would have required the city to house the homeless.
Federal investigations into the Adams administration first surfaced about a year ago, when FBI agents raided the home of his chief fundraiser. Days later, agents seized his phone and iPad as he left an event in Manhattan.
Earlier this month, federal investigators seized electronic devices from the city's police chief, schools superintendent, deputy mayor for public safety, first deputy mayor and other Adams confidants.
On September 26, an indictment was unsealed, accusing Adams of accepting illegal campaign donations and bribes from foreigners to help secure fire safety approvals for a new diplomatic building in the city.
Ngoc Anh (according to AP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/thi-truong-new-york-la-ai-va-tai-sao-bi-khoi-to-hinh-su-post314165.html
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