New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pleaded not guilty to federal bribery charges, rejecting allegations that he accepted overseas travel and more from foreign interests hoping to harness his influence.
Mr Adams, a former police captain, entered the plea in a packed courtroom on Friday, local time.
The first-term Democrat maintains he did nothing wrong and has vowed to stay in office, rebuffing growing calls for him to quit.
“I am not guilty, your honour,” Mr Adams said, looking solemnly at the judge.
His appearance before US Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker came a day after prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing him of taking $US100,000 ($145,000) in flights and stays in opulent hotel suites from people tied to Türkiye.
In return, Mr Adams allegedly did favours for his patrons, including helping ensure that Türkiye’s newly built diplomatic tower in Manhattan would not be subject to a fire inspection that it was certain to fail.
Eric Adams depicted in a court sketch. (AP: Elizabeth Williams)
The indictment also alleged he fuelled his run for mayor with illegal donations that helped him qualify for more than $US10 million in public campaign funds.
Mr Adams was released on the condition that he not contact any witnesses or people described in the indictment.
The mayor is allowed to speak with relatives and staff, but not about anything pertaining to the allegations.
Mr Adams left the courtroom without commenting.
He smiled at a court officer but ignored the rows of reporters he passed on his way out.
Afterward, he stood silently outside the courthouse while his lawyer, Alex Spiro, railed against the charges to a crowd of cameras while onlookers shouted “Free Eric!” and “Lock him up!”
“This isn’t even a real case,” Mr Spiro said.
“This is the airline upgrade corruption case.”
He told the judge he would file a motion next week asking for the case to be dismissed.
Eric Adams leaves court. (AP: Andres Kudacki)
Administration also investigated
One of Mr Adams’s closest City Hall advisers, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was met at the airport on Friday by investigators from the US Attorney’s Office and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office after she got off a flight from Japan.
The federal investigators served her with a subpoena.
The local prosecutors took her phones and searched her house, according to her lawyer, Arthur Aidala.
“She will cooperate fully with any and all investigations and Ms Lewis is not the target of any case of which we are aware,” Mr Aidala said.
Mr Adams, 64, is due back in court Wednesday for a conference.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin was met by the US Attorney’s Office and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. (AP: Peter K. Afriyie/ File)
Growing calls to resign
The criminal case and tumult in Mr Adams’s administration, including the sudden resignation of his police commissioner and retirement of his schools chancellor, have created a political crisis for the mayor.
Mr Adams has so far weathered calls to resign, including from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and potential Democratic challengers in next June’s mayoral primary.
Top Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have not called on Mr Adams to quit, saying the legal process should be allowed to play out.
Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who has the power to remove Mr Adams from office, appeared to issue a warning to the mayor saying she was reviewing her “options and obligations”.
She added she “expects the mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well-served by their leaders”.
Mr Adams, who soared to office as a law-and-order champion of the middle class, is charged with five counts including wire fraud, bribery, conspiracy and two counts of receiving campaign contributions from a foreign national.
If convicted of the most serious charge, wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in prison, federal prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors are believed to be leading multiple, separate inquiries involving Mr Adams and his senior aides and relatives of those aides.
In early September, federal investigators seized devices from the police commissioner, schools chancellor, two deputy mayors and other trusted Adams confidants.
None of those other officials have been publicly accused of wrongdoing or charged with a crime.
AP