Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York, has pleaded not guilty to bribery and fraud charges. The mayor appeared in a New York court on Friday after being charged with counts of wire fraud, bribery, two counts of receiving campaign contributions from a foreign national, and conspiracy. If convicted of the most serious charge, wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in prison, federal prosecutors said.
The mayor is accused of exploiting a yearslong relationship with people tied to the Turkish government, who funnelled money into his mayoral campaign and supplied him with cut-price flights and hotel stays in exchange for influence. After listening to Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker describe the charges against him, Adams said, “I am not guilty, your honour.” The mayor, 64, was released “on his own signature” on the condition that he does not contact any witnesses or individuals in the indictment.
He is due back in court Wednesday for a conference before the judge, when the mayor’s lawyer has said he will file a motion to dismiss. The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, accused Adams of taking a variety of improper gifts from Turkish officials and businessmen, including free hotel stays and luxury flights to destinations including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, Ghana and Turkey. In return, prosecutors said, Adams did them favours, including pressuring fire department officials to sign-off on a high-rise building for the Turkish embassy despite safety concerns.
Alex Sp.