New York mayor indicted on federal criminal charges

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00:00New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted, according to US media reports,

00:04becoming the first mayor of the city to face federal charges while in office.

00:08The indictment has yet to be unsealed, but the charges are reported to relate to his campaign

00:13conspiring with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations.

00:18Speaking on Wednesday evening, the former police captain was defiant

00:21and rejected calls to step down.

00:23If I am charged, many may say I should resign because I cannot manage the city

00:32while fighting the case. But I have been facing these lies for months,

00:38since I began to speak out for all of you and their investigation started.

00:43Yet the city has continued to improve. Make no mistake, you elected me to lead this city,

00:51and lead it I will.

00:53Elected in 2021, vowing to cut crime as New York emerged from the pandemic,

00:58Adams has had a rocky time in office, with his tenure dogged by scandals.

01:03Two of his associates were charged in separate cases last year,

01:06and another scandal forced the resignation of New York's police commissioner earlier this month.

01:11Last year, FBI agents seized the electronic devices of Adams and other senior city officials.

01:17He's now facing calls to resign from influential figures within his own Democratic party.

01:23I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City.

01:27The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening government function.

01:31Non-stop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain

01:35a qualified administration. For the good of the city, he should resign.

01:41Adams has also seen his popularity plummet, hovering at 28% in a poll last December,

01:47and is likely to face a stiff challenge in a Democratic primary, should he survive that long.

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