(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court Friday to federal charges related to an alleged conspiracy with Turkish nationals that landed him lavish gifts in exchange for beneficial treatment.
“I am not guilty your honor,” Adams told the judge.
The one-time police captain listened as Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker informed Adams of his rights. Asked if he understood those rights, Adams replied, “Yes, I do, your honor.”
Federal prosecutors accused Adams of accepting more than $100,000 in improper benefits over nearly a decade, many of which came in the form of flight upgrades and stays in luxury hotels, none of which were publicly divulged as required.
The indictment also alleged Adams and a staffer knowingly worked with Turkish nationals to send foreign money to straw donors for his mayoral campaign, and used that money to rake in over $10 million from New York City’s matching funds program.
Adams, 64, who is the first sitting New York City mayor to be criminally charged, has denied the allegations and vowed to fight the charges, despite rising calls for him to step down. Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler, whose district covers central Manhattan, was the latest New York official to call for Adams to step down Friday.
Adams was released on his own recognizance and ordered to have no contact with witnesses or anyone named in the indictment. He is allowed to have contact with staff members or relatives who may have knowledge of the fact pattern as long as they do not discuss the case.
The mayor did not make any statements after the arraignment, but gave a thumbs up to the media. His attorney, Alex Spiro, told reporters after the hearing that it was “not a real case.”
He claimed prosecutors did not have any evidence against his client, and laid blame on an unidentified staff member mentioned in the indictment who allegedly dealt with the Turkish nationals. Spiro claimed the staffer lied to prosecutors.
“There are no emails or text messages or corroboration that the mayor had anything to do with these allegations,” Spiro said.
Adams will return to court next week for an initial conference before the district judge who will oversee the case.
“We will be filing a motion to dismiss on Wednesday,” Spiro said.
Prior to his arraignment, Adams was fingerprinted and photographed and basic pedigree information was taken during processing.
The 57-page indictment had several details about Adams’ alleged corruption that dated back to his time as Brooklyn borough president.
The indictment included several text messages from an unidentified Adams staff member and several unidentified Turkish business persons and an unidentified Turkish government official, who provided gifts such as first-class flights and stays at luxurious hotels in Turkey and other locations.
The indictment also claimed a Turkish government official tried to open a new high-rise building in Manhattan in 2021 that would house Turkey’s consulate and pushed Adams to speed up the construction permits. Despite warnings from New York City fire safety professionals, Adams pressured the fire department to open the building and solicited more travel gifts, according to prosecutors.
The indictment followed a nearly yearlong investigation that included probes into Adams’ closest allies. Federal agents have searched and seized electronics from several officials, including former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned shortly after the search, and deputy mayors Phil Banks and Sheena Wright.
No other New York City official has been charged in connection with Adams’ allegations. The investigation is ongoing.
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