New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty Friday in federal court to five corruption charges of taking bribes and campaign contributions from foreigners.
“I am not guilty, your honor,” Adams, 64, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker when she asked for his plea.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Service escorted Adams and his lawyer, Alex Spiro, out of the courtroom.
Adams, whose administration has suffered numerous investigations, had denied wrongdoing and had said he would fight the charges in court.
“I will continue to do my job as mayor,” Adams told reporters Thursday before the indictment was unsealed.
Adams faces five charges: conspiracy to committee wire fraud, wire fraud, bribery and two counts of solicitation of campaign contribution from a foreign national.
A grand jury indicted Adams on Tuesday, and the charges were unsealed on Thursday. Federal prosecutors said Turkish diplomats and businesspeople illegally funneled money to Adams’ campaign and showered him with luxury travel perks, including rooms at opulent hotels and meals at high-end restaurants.
Adams is accused of bilking the city’s public campaign finance program of $10 million as a result of illegal contributions and receiving $100,000 in free travel to France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary and Turkey, according to the indictment.
In exchange, Adams in 2021 pressured city officials to allow Turkey’s new 36-story consulate to open despite safety concerns, according to prosecutors.
president, prosecutors said. The illegal campaign contributions helped finance his 2021 campaign for mayor, prosecutors said.
“As Adams’ prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash in on their corrupt relationships with him,” the indictment said. “Adams agreed, providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received.”
Adams, a former police officer who rose to the rank of captain, is the first of the city’s 110 mayors to be charged with a federal crime while in office.
New York Police Commissioner Eric Caban resigned Sept. 12 after FBI agents seized his phone. Days later, Adams’ top legal adviser, Lisa Zornberg, stepped down.
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