"You knew about the indictment before my lawyers did," Adams told reporters a few minutes ago.

He criticised the judicial system and the media, saying that the allegations about him had been out there for months before he or his team officially knew anything.

"Over the last ten months, this has happened over and over again, and this is not how law enforcement should work."

"It appears as though the goal is to try this case publicly" and not within the courts, he said.

Image source, Reuters

A reporter asked Adams during his news conference a few minutes ago: "Is there any circumstance in which you would resign?"

"No," he said.

"We're going to continue to move forward in this city," he said.

Adams is accused of misusing millions in public funds to support his mayoral campaign.

The city has a program that matches small-dollar contributions from city residents with up to eight times the amount in public funds to bolster New Yorkers' voices in elections.

According to prosecutors, Adams's campaigns applied for matching funds based on straw donations, "fraudulently obtaining as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution".

In the end, prosecutors say, his 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10m in public funds.

The mayor takes questions from reporters.

He starts by saying: "Everyone that knows me knows I follow campaign rules and I follow the law."

"That is how I live my life," he says.

Since Eric Adams approached the microphone, he has been met with loud cries from hecklers.

The shouting has continued even as he finished speaking and introduced allies to comment on the indictment.

Hazel Dukes, an Adams ally and president of the NAACP New York State Conference who is speaking on Adams's behalf, says: "Listen carefully, not to the loud mouths, but listen to the facts and figures".

"Would you be quiet", she tells the hecklers.

Adams takes back the microphone and says "Brother, this is a 92-year-old elder, show her some respect."

Eric Adams concludes his short remarks by saying: "I look forward to defending myself, and defending the people of this city, as I have done my entire professional career."

Image source, US Pool

"This does not surprise us that we've reached this day," Eric Adams says.

"I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defence before making any judgments."

Adams again rejects any suggestions for him to resign in light of the charges.

"My day-to-day will not change," he says.

Eric Adams is now speaking outside his official residence following the five charges against him being revealed.

We'll bring you live updates - and you can follow it in our stream above.

The fifth and final criminal count in the indictment is bribery, which prosecutors allege took place in 2021 and 2022.

Specifically, the charge says that Adams solicited and accepted "free and heavily discounted travel benefits" from a Turkish official and others.

In exchange, the indictment alleges Adams was "influenced" in connection with local regulations over the Turkish House, a 36-story building that currently serves as the headquarters of various Turkish diplomatic missions, including Turkey's consulate in New York.

The indictment alleges that Turkish official told an Adams staffer that it was "his turn" to support Turkey with regards to the documentation necessary for the building to open during a visit from Turkey's president.

Fire officials had earlier expressed concerns about remaining defects about the building's safety systems.

Adams allegedly pressured the fire department to issue this documentation.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from New York

Adams's lawyer, Alex Spiro, has just released a statement.

His remarks do not acknowledge the charges against Adams.

Instead, the lawyer calls the case against Adams "improper" and said prosecutors "emailed us a summons (and created the spectacle of a bogus raid)".

"And very soon they will no doubt hold an hour-long dog-and-pony show presser rather than appear in open court," Spiro adds.

Prosecutors are scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:30 EST.

Spiro adds that federal judges call prosecutors out "all the time for spinning in front of the cameras and tainting jurors".

"But they keep doing it because they can't help themselves, the spotlight is just too exciting," he adds. "We will see them in court.”

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from New York

The 57-page indictment details some serious allegations against the New York mayor.

Among them, prosecutors say Turkish officials told Adams he needed to repay them for previous favours by making sure the new Turkish consular building in the city was ready for a visit from Turkey's president - without a fire inspection.

The fire department official responsible for the assessment of the skyscraper consulate building was told he would lose his job if he failed to approve the building, prosecutors allege.

"ADAMS intervened, the skyscraper opened as requested by the Turkish Official," the indictment states.

Like count three, the fourth count in the criminal indictment accuses Adams of "knowingly and wilfully" soliciting and accepting foreign funds "with the express and implied promise" to make a contribution or donation "in connection with a local election".

The election, in this case, was New York's mayoral election, according to the indictment.

The indictment specifies that the total sum was $25,000 "and more" in a calendar year.

We're still going through the indictment in detail, but the document alleges that Adams knowingly accepted donations "through straw donors" to mask their origin, but then "attended fundraiser where he thanked the true donors, who he knew to be wealthy foreign nationals".

The indictment has also charged Adams with solicitation of a contribution exceeding $25,000 (£18,668) in a calendar year from a foreign national.

According to the indictment, Adams solicited "illegal contributions and granting requests from those who supported his 2021 mayoral campaign".

He also "knowingly accepted" improper personal benefits from those foreign nationals, one of whom was named in the indictment as a "Turkish official".

This includes multiple trips to Turkey in which he received free business class tickets on Turkish Airlines.

A wealthy Turkish businesswoman - called "Businesswoman" in the indictment - allegedly gave Adams free or steeply discounted stays in a luxury hotel she owned, and organized contributions to his 2021 campaign, the indictment said.

The first two counts against Adams are: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Federal Program Bribery, and to Receive Campaign Contributions By Foreign Nationals; and wire fraud.

Prosecutors allege Adams received more than $25,000 a year in contributions he solicited from foreign nationals. They say he accepted free business class flights to a number of locations, including France and Turkey, as well as luxury restaurants and hotels in foreign locations.

In relation to the wire fraud count, prosecutors allege he participated in a scheme to fraudulently receive money for matching campaign funds.

There are five district criminal counts in the Adams indictment.

Count one: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery and to receive contributions by foreign nationals

Count two: wire fraud

Count three: solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national

Count four: solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national

Count five: bribery

We'll have a look at these all in more detail. Stay with us for more updates.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from New York

We're just going through the 57-page indictment against Eric Adams. Among several counts, he's been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Federal Program Bribery and Solicitation of a Contribution by a Foreign National.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with five criminal counts, according to an unsealed indictment, including bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Stick with us as we bring you the details.

So far, Eric Adams has resisted growing calls to resign from office, saying he will fight any charges.

There is no legal requirement for him to resign, and New York City residents do not have the power to recall their mayor.

The state's governor, however, does have the power to remove a mayor.

But Governor Kathy Hochul has kept quiet on the allegations as of Thursday morning.

If Adams does leave office before his term ends, the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, would become acting mayor and a special election would be scheduled.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has urged New Yorkers to "be careful" about rushing to judgement about Eric Adam's indictment.

In an interview with CNN last night, de Blasio - who served as mayor between 2014 and 2022 - said that his initial reaction was "shock and concern for our city", but said the indictment is a "strong reminder that 'innocent until proven guilty' is the American way."

"I do think we have to be really careful here," he said. "We haven't seen anything specific, we don't know what this is yet, we haven't heard a defence."

If Adams believes he's innocent, de Blasio said that "he has a right to stand up and say that and keep his job."

"But he does owe it to New Yorkers to explain how he's going to navigate that reality and provide the leadership we need," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

In the hours since news of Eric Adams's indictment came to light, a growing number of politicians have publicly called for him to resign, including at least 10 of 51 members of the city council.

The most prominent so far is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the city in Congress, who that "for the good of the city", said on social media that Adams should step down.

"I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City," she wrote.

Lincoln Restler, a city councilman from Brooklyn, said that "no mayor can serve under criminal indictment".

"The only responsible course for New York City is for Mayor Eric Adams to step down," he added. "If he refuses, he must be removed from office... New Yorkers deserve so much better."

At least six state senators and nine state assemblymembers have also called for his resignation, in addition to New York City comptroller Brad Langer and former comptroller Scott Stringer.

New York's Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to comment on the indictment.

Adams has, so far, resisted any calls to resign.