Eric Adams has been hit with a string of federal criminal charges, including corruption and bribery, the first time in modern history for a sitting New York City mayor.
Prosecutors for the Southern District of New York unveiled a sprawling five-count indictment against Adams, accusing him of seeking and accepting “illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals” on Thursday.
Adams is no stranger to controversy, however, having been the subject of multiple gaffes and meme-worthy moments since he took office two years ago.
The Rat Czar
Throughout his tenure as mayor, Adams has been locked in a fierce battle with millions of the city’s residents. “Everyone that knows me knows one thing: I hate rats,” he said at a press conference in October 2022.
Getting rid of rats has been somewhat of an obsession for Adams, with the city’s first ever “Urban Rat Summit” taking place earlier this month.
Last April, he appointed Kathleen Corradi as his right hand in the battle against rodents, known colloquially as “The Rat Czar.”