In September, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal bribery and corruption charges for alleged crimes that occurred years ago, with that indictment notably coming after Adams began speaking out publicly against President Joe Biden's lax policies on border security and illegal immigration.

During a Monday press conference, President-elect Donald Trump suggested that he'd consider issuing a pardon for Adams, though he admitted that he was not fully informed of the details of the criminal charges against him, the New York Post reported.

Nevertheless, the incoming president is of the belief that the NYC mayor, who was a registered Republican as an NYPD officer before switching to be a Democrat when he first entered politics years ago, has been "treated pretty unfairly" by Biden's politicized and weaponized Justice Department, much like himself.

The charges against Adams

It was in September that the DOJ announced a five-count criminal indictment against Mayor Adams that included alleged crimes like bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud, and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign entities, for which he could face decades in prison if convicted and sentenced to the maximum on all counts.

Adams is alleged to have accepted bribes from Turkish officials in the form of upgraded travel arrangements and luxury accommodations in exchange for providing political favors, including pressuring the FDNY to approve a fire safety inspection for the new Turkish consulate building in an NYC skyscraper.

The mayor is also alleged to have sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions from Turkish entities and officials, which he allegedly fraudulently presented as legal contributions from citizens in order to obtain millions of dollars in matching funds from NYC taxpayers.

Trump says Adams has been "treated pretty unfairly"

During a Monday press conference at Mar-a-Lago, per the Post, President-elect Trump was asked if he'd consider pardoning NYC Mayor Adams, and replied, "I would. I think that he was treated pretty unfairly."

According to Fox News, Trump admitted, "I don’t know the facts. I would certainly look at it," but then proceeded to downplay some of the allegations of travel perks received by Adams before he became the mayor.

"Being upgraded in an airplane many years ago? I doubt if there’s anyone here who hasn’t been upgraded," he said. "It seems, you know, like being upgraded in an airplane many years ago -- I know probably everybody here has been upgraded. They see you’re all stars, they say, ‘I want to upgrade that person from NBC,’ and that would mean you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison."

As for the timing of the indictment, after Adams had become an outspoken critic of President Biden's immigration policies, Trump indicated that he'd seen that development coming from a mile away, and remarked, "I said, 'He’s going to be indicted.' And a few months later, he got indicted."

Adams has pleaded not guilty, set to face trial in April

As for Mayor Adams, who has not explicitly sought a pardon but has insinuated he'd be open to accepting one, has claimed that he is innocent of the charges against him and continues to plan for a re-election run, according to CBS News, while also suggesting that his critiques of a politicized DOJ are no different from what both Presidents Biden and Trump have said.

"I did nothing wrong. I should not have been charged, and I just think God has a way of showing the irony of life. You know?" Adams recently said. "I'm just saying the same thing that President Biden said. President Biden stated that his Justice Department has been politicized. President Trump stated that."

According to the Washington Examiner, Adams may ultimately need a pardon from Trump to avoid a possible trial, conviction, and incarceration, as a federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the mayor's motion to dismiss the bribery charge against him, as he viewed the allegation as "a factual question for a jury to resolve."

Assuming no intervention on his behalf by Trump, Adams is scheduled to stand trial in April next year.