New York City mayor Eric Adams arrives at federal court in Manhattan
New York City mayor Eric Adams arrives at federal court in Manhattan for his arraignment on Friday, September 27, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
"Real Time" host Bill Maher suggested that the federal indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams is "a little hard" based on the alleged crimes.
"I'm so amazed- not that politicians can be bribed, but that they can be bribed so cheaply," Maher reacted Friday night.
The Democratic mayor is accused of soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign entities and falsifying paper trails to cover it up, according to a 57-page indictment unsealed Thursday. As part of the plot, he allegedly defrauded taxpayers for $10 million over the past decade and frequently took free or steeply discounted vacations bankrolled by his foreign benefactors.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference outside Gracie Mansion, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in New York. The Mayor has been indicted after an investigation into campaign corruption. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
His guest, author and commentator Fran Lebowitz, mocked how Adams allegedly asked for business-class airline tickets.
"Eric, you're stealing! First-class! Why business-class?" Lebowitz quipped.
"But for the pettiness of the crime, don't you think they're coming down on him a little hard?" Maher asked.
"No, he's the mayor of New York. No," Lebowitz responded.
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"Yeah, I know. I'm not excusing it," Maher said. "I've seen politicians do slightly worse things. Like trying to overthrow the government of the United States."
"I don't know if it rises to this level of umbrage by everybody who is so 'shocked and horrified and this is the worst thing that has ever happened.' It's a little over the top," Maher added.
"Real Time" host Bill Maher suggested the DOJ is coming down on New York City Mayor Eric Adams "a little hard." (Screenshot/HBO)
Adams released a video statement saying any charges filed against him would be "entirely false, based on lies," and he insinuated that his criticism of the Biden administration's disastrous border policies made him a target for retaliation.
"The federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief," he said in a video statement. "I put the people of New York before party and politics."
Investigators denied the claim that the case was political retaliation during a news briefing Thursday.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams and attorney Alex Spiro depart federal court following Adams' arraignment in Lower Manhattan on Friday, September 27, 2024. Adams faces five federal charges, including alleged conspiracy, wire fraud, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery. (Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
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The mayor is accused of one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and to commit wire fraud and bribery, one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe.
He could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
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