Eric Adams indictment is political retaliation over Biden border criticism, criminal defense attorney claims

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, indicted on federal fraud, bribery and campaign finance charges, says the Justice Department's case against him is "entirely false, based on lies" and comes in response to his criticism of the White House's botched handling of a crisis at the southern border.

While the indictment contains serious allegations that he may have stolen $10 million from taxpayers' pockets, the investigation may have begun as political retaliation, according to David Gelman, a New Jersey-based defense attorney who has been following the case.

"Reading between the tea leaves in this indictment, it doesn't look like they really started up their investigation until 2021, 2022, when they raided the house of Eric Adams' fundraiser," he told Fox News Digital. In November 2023, the FBI raided Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for the mayor's 2021 campaign.

FEDS SEIZE ERIC ADAMS' PHONE AFTER NYC MAYOR'S INDICTMENT

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference on Sept. 26, 2024. He has been indicted on federal charges after an investigation into alleged campaign corruption. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

"Now, what happened in 2021 and 2022? That's the time when Eric Adams criticized the Biden administration," Gelman added.

The raid on Suggs happened while Adams was visiting Washington, D.C., to raise concerns about the migrant crisis. He cut his trip short.

Adams has been a vocal critic of the White House's border policy since migrants began arriving in New York in droves, overwhelming the city's shelter system and allegedly fueling a "wave of migrant crime" involving phone snatchings and other theft. 

But investigators on Thursday said politics played no role in building their case.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS INDICTED

A NYPD officer stands outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Thursday, Sep. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

"We are not focused on the right or the left," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York said during a news briefing on Thursday. "We are focused on right and wrong. That is our duty, and we will fulfill it."

A spokesperson for his office declined to comment further in response to Adams' claims of political persecution. 

Regardless of the motive, Gelman said Adams faces serious charges for allegedly ripping off taxpayers, taking bribes and influence peddling.

ADAMS OFFICE LASHES OUT AT FBI EMPLOYEE WHO MIGHT HAVE ‘IMPROPERLY LEAKED DETAILS’ OF CORRUPTION PROBE

WATCH: NYC Mayor Adams calls pending federal charges 'entirely false'

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He also said he was shocked at how blatant the accusations are against the former NYPD captain, if they are true. So much so that Williams during his remarks ripped the mayor's alleged attempts at covering his tracks as "a clumsy cover-up."

"I honestly am surprised with Adams how sloppy he was and his underlings were," Gelman said. "If you're anybody who knows anything regarding police work and anything in the government, you would think that you would have a much better grasp on how to hide and conceal things. But I guess not."

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams speaks to reporters. During a news briefing Thursday, he denied that the federal investigation into New York Mayor Eric Adams was politically motivated. (US Attorney for the Southern District of New York)

Anthony Capozzolo, a former federal prosecutor who handled public corruption cases in the neighboring Eastern District of New York, said the "shocking" allegations against Adams are a throwback to the 1800s-era corruption of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.

"Not many cases involving corruption and illicit benefits to insiders also involve risk to the public safety, but this case carries with it the fact that Adams appears to be willing to push aside safety concerns about the Turkish diplomatic building to get it opened for use in an expedited manner at the request of Turkish government officials," he said. "This was a high-rise building – for prosecutors this prevents the defense from trying to deprecate the seriousness of the offense, another common tactic by defense attorneys in corruption cases."

Adams has painted the investigation as a smear campaign designed to undermine his credibility and make him look guilty for months before charges were filed.

He has condemned leaks from the traditionally tight-lipped SDNY office and questioned the validity of the raids on numerous members of his inner circle.

"Just this past week, they searched the home of our new police commissioner looking for documents from 20 years ago, just one week after he joined my administration," he said. "Enough. I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit."

READ THE INDICTMENT:

The FBI seized his cellphone Thursday morning after returning to Gracie Mansion, the city's mayoral residence, but Adams has not yet been taken into custody.

The mayor is now accused of one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and 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.

Adams could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted of all charges. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and attorney Alex Spiro speak to the press outside of Gracie Mansion in New York City on Thursday, September 26, 2024. Adams faces five federal charges, including alleged conspiracy, wire fraud, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital )

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According to the indictment, federal investigators were looking into whether Adams' 2021 and 2025 mayoral campaigns conspired with Turkish officials, business leaders and other entities to illegally raise funds. Court documents allege wrongdoing as far back as 2016.