Indicted New York City Mayor Adopts Familiar Defense: He Was Targeted for His Politics

(NEW) Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell Hold Year End Crime Briefing 2022. January 05, 2023, New York, New York, USA: New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks at a press conference on end-of-year crime statistics with top NYPD officials at 1 Police Plaza on January 5, 2023 in New York City. Crime remains up from the record-lows of the past decade, but Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and a host of top NYPD officials said that things are headed in the right direction as they presented 2022’s end-of-year crime statistics. Credit: M10s / TheNews2 (Foto: M10s/TheNews2/Deposit Photos)

(AP) – For months, New York City Mayor Eric Adams refused to criticize the federal authorities investigating his administration. Not anymore. The day his indictment on corruption charges became public, Adams defiantly suggested without providing evidence that prosecutors had gone after him because he had criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. The rhetoric was similar to that of other politicians who have found themselves facing various accusations. Adams has yet to provide evidence backing the suggestion that he was being persecuted for being a thorn in Biden’s side. The U.S. attorney who brought the case said it had nothing to do with politics.