New York City Mayor Eric Adams Faces Bribery Charges

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, facing federal indictment for allegedly accepting bribes from foreign entities and falsifying records to cover them up, has vowed not to resign. Instead, he declared his intention to "reign" and continue leading the city.

Adams made this statement during a Sunday sermon at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church in The Bronx. He spoke for about 30 minutes and then declined to answer reporters' questions.

"God placed me in this moment and placed in my heart to continue to move this city forward," Adams said. "And so you'll hear the small number of loud people saying, 'But he should step down.' No, I'm going to step up. I'm not going to resign. I'm not going to resign. I'm going to reign."

Adams' legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the bribery charge. The indictment alleges that Adams accepted luxury travel bribes in exchange for allowing the construction of the 36-story Turkevi Center, also known as the Turkish House, despite fire safety concerns.

The indictment further alleges that federal investigators were looking into whether Adams' mayoral campaigns conspired with Turkish officials and others to illegally raise funds. His legal team argues that the indictment does not provide specific evidence of a quid pro quo agreement between Adams and the Turkish official.

Adams has denied any wrongdoing and claims that the charges are politically motivated, stemming from his criticism of the Biden administration's border policies. He maintains that he put the people of New York before party and politics.

Adams is due back in court on Wednesday for a conference. If convicted of all charges, he could face up to 45 years in prison.