Mayor Eric Adams
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The former chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and her son officially turned themselves in to face bribery charges.
On Thursday morning (December 19), Ingrid Lewis-Martin turned herself in to face corruption and bribery charges. She and her son, Glenn Martin II, were seen heading into the lower Manhattan offices of District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Lewis-Martin was the chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but she resigned abruptly on Sunday, citing a wish to spend more time with her family.
The charges of bribery facing Lewis-Martin include her son being given a $100,000 loan to purchase a Porsche by two businessmen after she allegedly helped them resolve an issue they encountered with the city’s Department of Buildings while undergoing construction on a hotel property they owned. A lawyer for one of the businessmen, Mayank Dwivedi, said that his client had committed no wrongdoing. Martin, 38, is a professional DJ who has gained prominence working several events through the years thanks to his mother and Adams, including events at Brooklyn Borough Hall and at City Hall. Going by the name of “Suave Luciano”, he also performed as part of the city’s “Rise Up” concert series in 2022.
Lewis-Martin’s reporting to the district attorney’s office makes her the highest-ranking city official out of a dozen to date to face charges since Mayor Adams was himself indicted on federal corruption charges in September. “I’m being falsely accused of something,” she said in a press conference. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but I know that I was told that it’s something that’s illegal, and I have never done anything illegal in my capacity in government.” The 63-year-old politician has been a staunch ally to Mayor Adams for decades, remarking that she is his “sister ordained by God.” A press conference by the D.A.’s office is set for Thursday afternoon.
The situation takes place during a week that has seen Mayor Adams undergo difficulties related to his case. On Monday (December 16), the city’s campaign finance board denied his re-election campaign $4.3 million in public funding. The following day, his request to move his April 2025 trial date up was denied by a federal judge.
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Donald Trump hosted a news conference this week at his Mar-a-Lago residence that covered a variety of topics for the incoming president-elect. Of Donald Trump’s comments made during the conference, some took note of the fact that he said he would consider pardoning New York Mayor Eric Adams if he is convicted.
Donald Trump, 78, was asked by media in attendance at the conference if he would consider pardoning Mayor Adams, who has been accused of abusing the power of his office by taking travel benefits from Turkey’s leadership and was accused of asking for illegal campaign donations from the nation. Trump said that Adams had been targeted unfairly by federal prosecutors, something he feels has happened to him as well regarding his legal matters in the state of New York.
Shortly after Trump’s event, Mayor Adams held a news conference on Monday and believes that he shouldn’t face charges in connection with his dealings with Turkish officials.
“I have an attorney that is going to look at every avenue to ensure I get justice,” Adams said. “I did nothing wrong.”
Adams’ defense attorney is Alex Spiro, who also represents Jay-Z and has done so for Elon Musk, a Trump ally, in the past.
Some observers believe Adams is cozying up to Trump and his political agenda concerning illegal immigration in exchange for a potential pardon should he face legal ramifications in connection to the donations from Turkey.
[h/t New York Times]
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Photo: Getty
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The chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned without warning over the weekend, as news broke of her impending indictment.
On Sunday (December 15), Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the top adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, resigned from her position. The move comes three months after she was subpoenaed by federal investigators and amid reports that a grand jury is seeking to indict her. Lewis-Martin, 63, said in a statement that she is stepping down to spend more time with her family.
“I thank God, first and foremost, for allowing me to serve the city that I love for close to 35 years through volunteerism and employment,” she said in the statement. “While I previously announced my retirement, this is still a bittersweet moment for me as government has been my life’s work.” Lewis-Martin has been a staunch ally of Mayor Adams for close to four decades, from his time as a New York City Police Department officer to holding the highest position in the city.
In a separate statement, Mayor Adams wrote that she “has not been just a friend, a confidante and trusted adviser, but also a sister.” He continued: “We’ve always talked about when this day would come, and while we’ve long planned for it, it is still hard to know that Ingrid won’t be right next door every day. I, and every New Yorker, owe her a debt of gratitude for her decades of service to our city.”
According to reports, Manhattan prosecutors who have been investigating allegations of corruption by Lewis-Martin have presented evidence to a grand jury, with the possibility of an indictment being announced this week. Federal agents seized her phones in September after she arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport from a vacation to Japan with colleagues. Sources close to the investigation state that the focus is on bribery and money laundering being part of the city’s commercial leasing properties. Federal agents also searched her Brooklyn home and seized the phones of her son and colleagues the same day.
For Mayor Adams, his adviser’s resignation is a gut punch. Lewis-Martin’s departure is the latest in a string of those in his administration who have resigned early and after Adams’ federal indictment in September. Mayor Adams is set to go to trial on charges of corruption in April 2025, months before his re-election campaign officially kicks off.
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
The chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned without warning over the weekend, as news broke of her impending indictment.
On Sunday (December 15), Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the top adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, resigned from her position. The move comes three months after she was subpoenaed by federal investigators and amid reports that a grand jury is seeking to indict her. Lewis-Martin, 63, said in a statement that she is stepping down to spend more time with her family.
“I thank God, first and foremost, for allowing me to serve the city that I love for close to 35 years through volunteerism and employment,” she said in the statement. “While I previously announced my retirement, this is still a bittersweet moment for me as government has been my life’s work.” Lewis-Martin has been a staunch ally of Mayor Adams for close to four decades, from his time as a New York City Police Department officer to holding the highest position in the city.
In a separate statement, Mayor Adams wrote that she “has not been just a friend, a confidante and trusted adviser, but also a sister.” He continued: “We’ve always talked about when this day would come, and while we’ve long planned for it, it is still hard to know that Ingrid won’t be right next door every day. I, and every New Yorker, owe her a debt of gratitude for her decades of service to our city.”
According to reports, Manhattan prosecutors who have been investigating allegations of corruption by Lewis-Martin have presented evidence to a grand jury, with the possibility of an indictment being announced this week. Federal agents seized her phones in September after she arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport from a vacation to Japan with colleagues. Sources close to the investigation state that the focus is on bribery and money laundering being part of the city’s commercial leasing properties. Federal agents also searched her Brooklyn home and seized the phones of her son and colleagues the same day.
For Mayor Adams, his adviser’s resignation is a gut punch. Lewis-Martin’s departure is the latest in a string of those in his administration who have resigned early and after Adams’ federal indictment in September. Mayor Adams is set to go to trial on charges of corruption in April 2025, months before his re-election campaign officially kicks off.
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According to city officials, a controversial voucher program for migrants in New York City to get food using debit cards is ending.
New York City announced that it will discontinue a program that gave vouchers to migrants to pay for food, putting an end to an initiative that had been long assailed by conservatives and associated pundits. The vouchers came in the form of prepaid debit cards. “As we move towards more competitive contracting for asylum seeker programs, we have chosen not to renew the emergency contract for this pilot program once the one-year term concludes,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
The program, which began in late March, provided debit cards for food and baby supplies to 2,600 migrants who arrived in the city and were staying in hotels funded by the city. The debit cards could only be used at convenience stores, bodegas, and supermarkets. They would be unusable at other businesses. Mobility Capital Finance, or MoCaFi, was the private company that won a no-bid, emergency contract for $400,000 to run the program for one year.
The program distributed the cards at the Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan to participants, totaling $3.2 million. It was a sea change from a previous food distribution system managed by another private medical company, DocGo, which obtained a $432 million contract from the city before troubling allegations forced the city to phase the contract out.
Conservatives have attacked the program since its creation, claiming it was ripe for fraud, but no instances of bad behavior with the debit cards have occurred. City Comptroller Brad Lander also previously revoked the city’s ability to enter into emergency deals for migrant services. While an estimated 700 migrants are entering New York City each week seeking asylum, 1,000 are making their way out. Mayor Adams William Fowler, a spokesperson at City Hall, said that Mayor Adams is open to potentially pursuing the installment of a similar program in the future. “We will continue to implement and learn from innovative pilot programs like the immediate response cards program as we care for hundreds of new arrivals every week,” he said in an interview.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams may be looking for a pardon from Donald Trump, but there are considerable political risks for him.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House has created a conundrum for New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams could find himself as the beneficiary of sympathy from the president-elect as he faces federal corruption charges, but actively courting favor from Trump would put him squarely against his own political party.
The tension surrounding that situation was evident to all during a press conference held on Wednesday by Adams and his staff after the election results were released. The mayor stressed that they would work with the incoming federal administration. “We will work with the new administration and Congress to develop a realistic and compassionate national strategy for our immigration system,” he said. When asked about Trump’s victory and the effect it could have on his court case, Adams simply smirked and refused to answer as he left the podium.
https://x.com/katie_honan/status/1854211493845221628?s=46
Trump mentioned Adams’ case at the Alfred E. Smith dinner in the city last month. “I just want to be nice because I know what it’s like to be persecuted by the DOJ for speaking out against open borders,” Trump said then. “We were persecuted, Eric. I was persecuted, and so were you.” He has previously pardoned high-level Democratic politicians who’ve run afoul of the law – former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Adding to the pressure-filled situation is the fact that Trump and Adams both enjoy friendships with noted Republican backers including former mayoral candidate and billionaire John Catsimatidis and radio host Sid Rosenberg (who offered to be a go-between the two). “Do you protect New York as a sanctuary city, or do you consider your own liberty in that equation?” said Basil Smikle, a former Democratic strategist and current Columbia University professor. “What’s going to win out?”
With an estimated half-million undocumented immigrants living in New York City and over 210,000 migrants who’ve arrived since 2022, Trump’s vow of mass deportation looms larger. Adams has clashed with the Biden administration and members of his own city council and the Democrats over their handling of migrants. Observers have noted that the situation could reflect on his upcoming primary. “There may be an interest in having more progressive leadership or at least a leadership that isn’t bogged down by these investigations,” Smilke stated.
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The criminal trial for New York City Mayor Eric Adams has officially been set to begin next April, with the judge reviewing other charges against him.
Last Friday (Nov. 1), New York City Mayor Eric Adams was informed by Federal District Court Judge Dale E. Ho that he would stand trial on corruption charges on April 21, 2025, during a hearing. Judge Ho is also reviewing whether or not Mayor Adams would be tried on a bribery charge or throw it out. He stated that he would rule on that at a later date.
Adams’ lawyers had been arguing for the trial to be held later, noting the upcoming mayoral elections next year. “In this city, with an election happening, the court should take into account that he is not just sitting here presumed innocent anymore,” attorney Alex Spiro said. “It doesn’t give him a realistic chance. If he still has this hanging over his head, that impacts the election, period.”
Spiro and other defense lawyers also argued that the prosecution didn’t meet the bar needed for the bribery charge, which stems from Adams’ involvement with the Turkish government as he ran for office in 2021. Lead prosecutor Hagan Cordell Scotten dismissed that request in court, pointing to Adams pressuring the Fire Department to sign off on Turkey’s consulate building despite safety concerns in exchange for luxury travel on their national airline. “Pressure,” Scotten said, “is one of the many ways to satisfy an official act.”
The scheduled trial date bumps up against the beginning of the primary season in New York City’s mayoral elections, and Adams is already facing a packed field of challengers. The embattled politician is also dealing with the fact that his $1.8 million fund for legal defense has been depleted. Mayor Adams has fended off calls for his resignation when queried by the press, and Judge Ho issued a warning to his legal team and the prosecution. “The parties are cautioned that this case is to be tried in the courtroom and not in the press,” he wrote.
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Source: Noam Galai / Getty / Eric Adams / Sheena Wright
Embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams remains defiant as the walls continue to close in around him, the corruption probe into him intensifies, and shakeups in his administration keep happening.
Spotted on The Daily News, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright is the latest high-ranking official in Eric Adam’s administration to say, I’m good, and resign.
According to the newspaper, one of her top aides, Maria Torres-Springer, the current deputy mayor for housing and economic development, is expected to replace Wright. She was supposed to make the move last week but initially refused before deciding to step down.
Per The Daily News:
Wright, one of five senior Adams administration officials whose homes were raided by federal authorities on Sept. 4, was initially expected to step down this past Friday as part of an effort by the mayor to push out advisers ensnared in the corruption investigations.
But sources familiar with the situation told the Daily News that Wright refused, even as the other four top staffers raided on Sept. 4 — including her husband, outgoing Schools Chancellor David Banks — announced their resignations.
Finally, as of Tuesday, Wright had submitted her own resignation to the mayor, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
At the time of reporting, Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Adams, said that “no announcement is final until and if it is made,” but in a statement shared by The New York Times, Adams said Wright is an “exceptional leader who assembled a strong team and constantly demonstrated a bold vision for this city.”
It Gets Worse For Eric Adams
To make matters worse for Mayor Mixxy, an adviser to Adams, was charged with witness tampering and destroying evidence.
The indicted politician is in big trouble as the dominoes around him continue to fall. It’s only a matter of time before Adams announces that he will be stepping down as mayor of NYC.
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Source: Alex Kent / Getty / Eric Adams
They say birds of a feather flock together. Mayor Mixxy, aka Eric Adams, needs all the allies he can get as the walls continue to close in on him, so it shouldn’t be shocking that he is now accepting support from Donald Trump.
Spotted on Raw Story, the embattled indicted Mayor, Eric Adams, welcomed the support from the disgraced orange menace, Donald Trump, after becoming the first NYC Mayor to be indicted while in office for allegedly taking bribes from foreign governments.
Speaking out of the side of his racist mouth, Trump, for whatever reason, blamed Adams’ charges on his critical comments Mayor Mixxy said about undocumented immigrants coming to the city.
“We have people that use the Justice Department and the FBI at levels that have never been seen before,” Trump said last week. “I wish him luck.”
On Tuesday, October 1, reporters asked Adams if he had embraced Trump’s support.
“Listen, I welcome support from every American, no matter where they are and who they are,” Adams told reporters. “I welcome support from every American, those who know me and know how I am, and those who are just reading up on this.”
“So, every American in this great country, I welcome support from.”
Critics Are Calling Eric Adams’ Rhetoric Very Trump-Like
It’s no surprise that Adams is being dragged for appreciating the support for the twice-impeached former president, with many pointing out how Trumpish he sounded.
“Several of Adams’ fellow Democrats compared the mayor’s rhetoric to that of former President Donald Trump, a Republican who was also indicted — and ultimately convicted — in New York,” Gothamist writer Brigid Bergin said.
Bergin continued, “Several of Adams’ fellow Democrats compared the mayor’s rhetoric to that of former President Donald Trump, a Republican who was also indicted — and ultimately convicted — in New York.”
Welp.
The news isn’t getting any better for Adams. Federal prosecutors are considering bringing more charges against the defiant NYC Mayor.
You can see more reactions to Eric Adams’ downfall, which is currently in progress.
1. Hate to see it
3. Howling
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Cam’ron revealed that he was approached by Mayor Eric Adams to receive the keys, to New York City—after rescinding Diddy’s—but he declined.
As embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams is dealing with the fallout from his federal indictment, Cam’ron shared that his administration offered him the key to the city recently. “You know what’s crazy? This is word to everything I love,” he said to his friend and It Is What It Is co-host Ma$e while discussing the fraud and bribery charges Adams was hit with last week. “Last month, they called me to see if I wanted the key to the city. I said, ‘I don’t want to be involved with nothing. They offered me that shit. They said, ‘Cam, you want the key to the city?’ I was like, ‘That ain’t really up my alley right now. I’m cool with the key to New York City, man.’”
He went on to talk further about how that kind of offer doesn’t have a positive value now: “Where does that get you? I don’t want nothing to do with the keys to the city and the n—-s giving ’em out, the n—-s who previously had ’em. I don’t got nothing to do with the key to the city.” The “I Really Mean It” rapper was undoubtedly referring to Diddy, who received the keys to the city from Mayor Adams in a highly publicized ceremony in Times Square last September. The city rescinded the honor after video of the controversial music mogul assaulting his then-partner Cassie Ventura surfaced in correlation to her lawsuit against Diddy last November. Diddy, aka Sean Combs, returned the key six days after Adams’ office requested them back.
Mayor Adams had also recently given a key to Fat Joe, who received it in the Bronx in August. The “Don Cartagena” artist stated in an Instagram Live video that unnamed people were “upset” over it. “I get the key to the city [on] the 20th and, boy, was that a hard one. Hip Hop got a black eye,” he said at the time. “The mayor and his crew, his right-hand girl, got me the key to the city. Everybody was a little upset. But I don’t know another guy who keeps it realer with the streets of New York than Fat Joe, who feeds more people, opens more businesses. I don’t know what to tell you guys.”