Transcript of NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted on federal charges, which remain sealed

It's breaking news tonight. New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, has been indicted on federal charges. Abc senior investigative correspondent, Aaron Kutursky, joins us now. Aaron, this indictment seems to have been in the works for a very long time.

At least 10 months, Byron, federal prosecutors and the FBI took the dramatic step last November of seizing the mayor's phones. And ever since, his administration has been under this cloud, the mayor in a statement tonight says, I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers, that I would be a a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit. A real show of defiance from Mayor Eric Adams, even as he is now facing this criminal indictment, although it remains sealed, so we don't know the exact charges.

And certainly innocent until proven guilt in this country. I'm struck by the number of Democrats in his own party who have called for him to step aside.

Many of them are his political opponents. Some planned on running against him as he sought re-election. But one, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came out and called for his resignation even before news of the indictment hit, saying that his administration had become dysfunctional. There had been high-level resignations in just the last several days. The police commission of the school's the Chancellor, the Health Commissioner, some of them had been caught up in this federal investigation as well.

We'll get you out on this question. When might we see the mayor turn himself in?

Likely next week is when he'll have to appear in court. Federal prosecutors may say something about the charges before then, but the mayor is defiant. But investigators have been taking a look at his fundraising from his 2021 campaign, whether there was illegal foreign money from Turkey that's expanded to cover possible bid rigging and enforcement of regulations covering bars and nightclubs, whether that was all done on the up and up.

Eric O'Kentersky, thank you so much. Thanks, Byron. We will, of course, be closely following this story on ABC News Live in GMA tomorrow morning.