Federal prosecutors allege that New York City Mayor Eric Adams participated in a “long-running conspiracy” involving luxury travel and gifts from foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official. Adams has been indicted on five federal corruption charges but maintains his innocence, claiming he is being targeted for his political stance.


In a statement following the news of his indictment, which became public after federal agents searched Gracie Mansion, Adams remarked, “I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target – and a target I became.”


This defense—that political positions lead to legal scrutiny—echoes a familiar narrative among powerful individuals facing federal charges. Former President Donald Trump, running for the presidency again, argues that he has been unfairly pursued by the Department of Justice and has pledged to use the DOJ against political opponents if he wins a second term.


Adams’s indictment by the Southern District of New York does not automatically validate Trump’s claims of a political witch hunt. Similarly, the recent conviction of former Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, followed a complicated legal process that included a mistrial on earlier charges.


Interestingly, while Trump often cites political targeting, the same prosecutors who charged Adams and secured Menendez’s conviction had previously opted not to pursue charges against Trump for alleged campaign finance violations linked to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels after he left office. It was Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who later revived the case, leading to Trump’s convictions for falsifying business records, for which he is set to be sentenced in late November.


Special counsel Jack Smith, appointed to oversee investigations related to Trump, has pursued federal indictments against him for attempts to overturn the 2020 election and for mishandling classified documents. However, these cases have faced delays in court, including a dismissal of the classified documents case by a Trump-appointed judge.


Despite the legal challenges, there is a possibility that voters may see the government’s case against Trump before Election Day, as Smith has recently filed an outline of the case in Washington, DC.


Earlier this year, following Menendez’s conviction, a review of federal prosecutions of elected officials revealed a relatively even split in such cases nationwide since the early 2000s. While Adams’s case would not be included on that list due to his city official status, the prosecution of former Rep. George Santos, a Republican, would be.