Indictment timeline: 'Overt acts' allegedly committed by Eric Adams

Eric Adams indicted: What we know

From the indictment details to Eric Adams’ chaotic press conference in response, here’s everything we know about the bribery and illegal campaign fund charges against the Democratic NYC mayor. FOX 5 NY has team coverage.

Eric Adams indicted: What we know

NEW YORK - In the indictment against Eric Adams, federal investigators detail the alleged conspiracy they say the Democratic New York City Mayor constructed and engaged in dating back to 2014.

Adams is accused of securing bribes from foreign nationals and illegal campaign contributions in exchange for favors. Prosecutors say Adams started exploiting foreign relationships years before becoming mayor while serving as Brooklyn Borough President.

Track live updates on Adams' indictment here.

Adams, allies hold presser after indictment unsealed

NYC Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference with allies, proclaiming his innocence, as hecklers with bullhorns were loudly booing and drowning out the microphones. "You are a disgrace to all Black people in this city," one heckler yelled.

Here is an expanded timeline of alleged "overt acts" committed by Adams along with other key moments in his political tenure from 2014 to 2022. The information below was taken from the indictment, and all parties are innocent until proven guilty.

*The indictment lists at least five accomplices, dubbed "Businessman" 1 through 5, who are referred to as "businessperson" throughout the timeline.

Allegations timeline

2014:

Eric Adams becomes Brooklyn Borough President.

2015:

August: Adams takes his first trip to Turkey, arranged by the Turkish Consulate and a for-profit Turkish university. He receives free business-class flights and accommodation.
Adams meets key figures, including a Turkish official and a Turkish business person, both of whom later provide illegal campaign contributions.
December: Adams makes a second trip to Turkey, organized by the Turkish official and a Turkish promoter. Again, he receives luxury benefits, including upgraded business-class flights on Turkish Airlines.
Adams discloses his trips in 2015 but later conceals similar benefits received after this period.

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 10: Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams speaks onstage during the Captain America statue dedication ceremony and community event honoring 75 years of Captain America at Children's Corner of Prospect Park on August 10, 2016

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2016:

Adams begins receiving free or heavily discounted luxury travel benefits without reporting them, marking the start of a pattern of concealment.
October: Adams and his domestic partner receive free upgrades to business class for a trip to India. The true cost of the tickets is over $15,000, which Adams does not disclose.
Adams uses Turkish Airlines for multiple trips, including to India, France, Turkey, Sri Lanka, China, and Nepal. The Turkish official and the airline manager continue to arrange these benefits in exchange for influence over Adams. Adams does not report these benefits on his financial disclosures, despite the legal requirement to do so.

The Turkish House (Adams indictment)

2017:

July through August: Adams travels to France, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and China, again using free Turkish Airlines tickets worth more than $35,000.
Adams stays in luxury hotels, including the Bentley Suite at St. Regis Istanbul at a significantly discounted rate. The suite's cost would have been $7,000 but Adams pays less than $600.
Adams creates fake paper trails to make it appear he paid for these trips, but the benefits were actually provided by Turkish nationals.
October: Adams travels to Nepal with free business-class tickets on Turkish Airlines, valued at over $16,000.
Adams continues to conceal these benefits from his financial disclosures, and he begins planning for his 2021 mayoral campaign.

Bentley Suite Bathroom (Adams idictment)

2018:

Adams formally begins fundraising for his 2021 mayoral campaign.
He allegedly starts soliciting illegal contributions, including from foreign nationals and a Turkish businessperson, while concealing the true sources of these donations.
April: Adams asks his contact with Turkish Airlines to organize fundraising efforts for his campaign, leveraging his relationship with the Turkish official.
June: Adams attends a fundraiser organized by the Turkish Airline manager, where illegal donations are made through straw donors.
Adams continues to benefit from free travel and luxury accommodations, including a trip to Hungary, which he does not report on his disclosure forms.

Bentley Suite Bedroom (Adams indictment)

2019:

January: Adams travels to Turkey, Jordan and Oman, receiving free hotel stays, meals, and transportation, again facilitated by Turkish nationals. During this trip, Adams allegedly solicits illegal campaign contributions from Turkish business people, despite knowing foreign nationals cannot legally contribute to U.S. elections.
The promoter arranges luxury benefits for Adams, including a free stay in the Cosmopolitan Suite at St. Regis Istanbul, valued at $3,000.
Adams continues to use straw donors to funnel foreign donations into his campaign, despite warnings from his staff about the legal risks.
Adams maintains a close relationship with a Turkish official and promoter, who promised further contributions toward his campaign.

Cosmopolitan Suite Bedroom (Adams indictment)

2020:

Adams’s alleged illegal fundraising activities ramp up as the 2021 mayoral election approaches.
December: Adams solicits and receives straw donations from a business operating a construction company in New York City. The business person reimburses his employees for donations made to Adams’s campaign.
Adams personally attends a fundraiser where illegal contributions are made, further expanding his corrupt fundraising network. He continues to benefit from foreign contributions, despite federal laws prohibiting such donations. His campaign receives fraudulent public matching funds based on these illegal donations.

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2021:

May: Adams attends a fundraiser organized by a Turkish official and accepts more straw donations from members of the Turkish community in New York.
July: Adams wins the Democratic primary for NYC Mayor. He continues accepting bribes, including luxury travel and accommodations, from the Turkish official in exchange for political favors.
September: Adams intervenes with the FDNY to facilitate the opening of a Turkish consulate skyscraper without proper fire inspections. In return, he receives luxury travel benefits.
November: Adams is elected Mayor of New York City. The day after his victory, Adams’s Turkish benefactors celebrate, believing they have gained significant influence over the future mayor.
Adams continues to hide these transactions, instructing his staff to delete messages and create false records.

Adams claims victory

Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, has declared victory in the Democratic primary for mayor.

2022:

January: Adams is inaugurated as Mayor of New York City. He quickly begins preparing for his 2025 re-election campaign by planning to solicit more illegal contributions. Adams meets with the promoter, who offers to raise more foreign contributions for his 2025 campaign in exchange for political favors.
April: The Turkish official pressures Adams not to make a statement about the Armenian Genocide. Adams agrees, ensuring continued support from his Turkish benefactors.
November: Adams refuses to meet with a Turkish business person who failed to fulfill his promise of significant contributions, demonstrating that he only favors those who meet their financial commitments.

Eric Adams