Mayor up for years of graft

Drama escalates with a pre-dawn raid of his residence.

New York's scandal-plagued mayor, Eric Adams, was charged with wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and bribery conspiracy stunning charges that fuelled calls for him to resign.

The grand jury indictment follows a sweeping probe into the mayor's conduct and whether he conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal contributions in return for favourable treatment.

A defiant Adams told reporters that he looked "forward to defending" himself, and he dismissed demands to step down, urging New Yorkers to "wait to hear our side of the story."

But US district attorney Damian Williams, whose federal office is bringing the charges, said the mayor was "secretly being showered" with gifts for years, breezing past "bright red lines."

"The conduct alleged in the indictment the foreign money, the corporate money, the years of concealment - is a grave breach of the public's trust," Williams told journalists.

He said the investigation is ongoing: "We will hold more people accountable."