New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges in a Manhattan courtroom this morning. Adams has been charged with five criminal counts of bribery, including charges that he accepted overseas travel, campaign cash, and other gifts from the Turkish government and Turkish businessmen in exchange for his advocacy for city-related projects.
Adams has expressed his innocence and exclaimed that he will vehemently fight the charges.
The Scene Today
Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker that he would move for a dismissal of the case next week. After the hearing, Spiro said to the crowd, “This isn’t even a real case. This is the airline upgrade corruption case.”
During the hearing, Adams sat quietly as Judge Parker read the charges. Afterward, he left the courtroom without comment. The mayor will appear Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho for a conference. Judge Ho will be the presiding judge for the remainder of the trial.
What Did Adams Allegedly Do?
The indictment states that over a ten-year period, Adams conspired with a Turkish official who bestowed lavish gifts on him, such as free or discounted trips to China, Turkey, France, India, and many other locations. Other perks included travel upgrades, expensive meals, and a visit to a Turkish bath. The running total of these perks is said to exceed $100,000.
Then there is the little matter of illegal campaign contributions. Adams is accused of covertly working with Turkish businessmen who funneled donations to his political campaigns through straw donors who did not contribute a dime. Only U.S. citizens may donate to U.S. political candidates.
What was Exchanged?
In exchange, the mayor did favors for his benefactors. Principal among these favors was pressuring the city’s fire commissioner not to perform a fire inspection on a building that would become the Turkish Consulate tower in Manhatten. The fire department’s evaluation of the property was delayed due to safety concerns about the building.
Adam’s attorney, Spiro, argued in court today that it was not unusual or improper for an elected official to accept and receive some travel perks. But the mayor swears he never accepted any illegal campaign contributions and that if he helped anyone, it was in the course of doing his job.
What’s at Stake?
Adams is charged with five federal counts: wire fraud, bribery, conspiracy, and two counts of accepting campaign contributions from a foreign national. These charges date back to 2014 when he was Brooklyn Borough President.
This is uncharted territory for New York City residents. This is the first time a sitting NYC mayor has been indicted on criminal charges. With the exodus of many of Adams’ senior staffers from city hall due to the investigation, the question on many people’s minds is who is running the city.
Some Pols are Still Silent
Still no calls from the offices of prominent New York officials Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Adams to resign.
But the list of elected officials who are calling on the mayor to resign grows by the hour. The latest to join the chorus are Excelsior state U.S. House of Representative members Jerry Nadler, Nicole Malliotakis, and Elise Stefanik, the latter, of course, who serves as the chair of the U.S. House Republican Conference.
What’s Next?
At this point, it doesn’t appear that Mayor Adams will resign anytime soon. If he does resign or is forced out, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would assume the office on an interim basis until a special election is held. Williams would have three days to announce the date of a nonpartisan special election that would take place within the first three months from the day that Adams left office.
