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Jimmy Williams
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was arraigned Friday on federal charges of corruption and bribery in a Manhattan courtroom, marking a dramatic moment in city politics that could lead to his removal from office.
Adams, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, is accused of participating in a decade-long bribery scheme involving illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel funded by wealthy Turkish nationals.
“I am not guilty, your honor,” Adams said confidently to Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker during the brief court appearance. Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, Adams was ordered not to contact witnesses named in the indictment.
Adams, 64, was allowed to leave without posting bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday, where his attorney, Alex Spiro, plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges. “This case isn’t even a real case,” Spiro said, criticizing the evidence as weak and built on the testimony of a staffer he accused of lying.
The 57-page indictment accuses Adams of accepting over $100,000 in free flights, hotel stays, and other luxury perks in exchange for political favors, including pressuring the New York Fire Department to approve the opening of a Turkish consulate building despite safety concerns. The alleged scheme began when Adams served as Brooklyn borough president in 2014 and continued into his mayoralty, with Adams allegedly receiving illicit benefits even after his electronic devices were seized by federal investigators.
Prosecutors allege that Adams manipulated the city’s matching funds program to gain over $10 million in public funds through false certifications. According to the indictment, Adams also created false paper trails and deleted incriminating messages to hide his misconduct.
“This was a multiyear scheme to buy favor with a single New York City politician on the rise,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, emphasizing that Adams’ actions threatened to undermine public trust in government.
Adams’ indictment follows a tumultuous period for his administration, which has seen resignations from key officials, including the city’s police commissioner and schools chancellor. Several prominent New York politicians, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state Sen. John Liu, have called on Adams to step down, though top figures like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul have not publicly urged his resignation.
Hochul, who has the authority to remove Adams from office, said she expects the mayor to “take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward,” but stopped short of demanding he resign.
The charges center on Adams’ relationship with Turkish nationals who allegedly provided illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel in exchange for political favors. In one instance, Adams allegedly pressured the New York Fire Department to approve a 36-story Turkish consulate building in Manhattan just in time for a visit by Turkey’s president. Prosecutors claim the Turkish official behind the scheme referred to Adams as “a true friend of Turkey.”
The indictment, which paints a picture of widespread corruption and influence-peddling, could force Adams out of office and marks a significant blow to his political career. Adams remains defiant, vowing to fight the charges and continue serving as mayor.
“We are not surprised. We expected this,” Adams said. “I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defense before making any judgments.”
