The Week: The Feds Indict Eric Adams

• Now we know what the mayor meant when he said he could attract foreign investment.

• A long-simmering investigation into New York City mayor Eric Adams yielded the fruit of five federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. Among the allegations is that the mayor solicited free and heavily discounted foreign travel in exchange for helping to obtain approval by Fire Department officials of a new Turkish consulate. Adams insists he’s innocent. In the past month, Police Commissioner Edward Caban, Schools Chancellor David Banks, Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and Lisa Zornberg, City Hall’s chief legal counsel, announced their resignations—effective immediately for Caban and Zornberg, at the end of the year for Banks and Vasan. A few voices on the right speculated that this represented “lawfare,” and Democrats aligned with the Biden administration targeted Adams for his criticism of the migrant crisis (the mayor declared a year ago, “This issue will destroy New York City”). But this gives Adams more credit than he deserves; hardly a border hawk or immigration restrictionist, he just wanted more federal funds for housing and caring for the migrants. Three years ago, the former cop Adams seemed like the least bad option among New York Democrats for mayor, but his term has largely been a disappointment. If he indeed gave favors to the Turks for campaign cash and free travel, he is a disgrace as well.

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• Now we know what the mayor meant when he said he could attract foreign investment.

• A long-simmering investigation into New York City mayor Eric Adams yielded the fruit of five federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. Among the allegations is that the mayor solicited free and heavily discounted foreign travel in exchange for helping to obtain approval by Fire Department officials of a new Turkish consulate. Adams insists he’s innocent. In the past month, Police Commissioner Edward Caban, Schools Chancellor David Banks, Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and Lisa Zornberg, City Hall’s chief legal counsel, announced their resignations—effective immediately for Caban and Zornberg, at the end of the year for Banks and Vasan. A few voices on the right speculated that this represented “lawfare,” and Democrats aligned with the Biden administration targeted Adams for his criticism of the migrant crisis (the mayor declared a year ago, “This issue will destroy New York City”). But this gives Adams more credit than he deserves; hardly a border hawk or immigration restrictionist, he just wanted more federal funds for housing and caring for the migrants. Three years ago, the former cop Adams seemed like the least bad option among New York Democrats for mayor, but his term has largely been a disappointment. If he indeed gave favors to the Turks for campaign cash and free travel, he is a disgrace as well.