NYC Mayor Eric Adams charged in alleged Turkish influence scheme

U.S. prosecutors charged New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday with accepting illegal campaign contributions and allegedly luxury travel from Turkish nationals seeking to influence him, marking a significant development in an investigation that has plunged the city’s government into turmoil.

The 57-page indictment outlines an alleged scheme dating back to 2014, which reportedly financed Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign and provided him with complimentary stays at luxury hotels and meals at upscale restaurants.

In exchange, prosecutors claim, Adams pressured city officials to expedite the opening of Türkiye’s new 36-story consulate despite safety concerns. The Democrat faces five criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

‘I will continue to do my job’

“I will continue to do my job as mayor,” Adams stated at a news conference, where some attendees called for his resignation. He denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight the charges in court.

Türkiye’s foreign ministry, the president’s office, and its embassy in Washington have yet to comment on the situation.

Earlier on Thursday, federal agents conducted a search of the mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Witnesses reported seeing around a dozen individuals in business attire entering the mansion with briefcases and duffel bags.

Adams, a former police officer who ascended to the rank of captain, is the first mayor of New York City to be criminally charged while in office. While Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove him from office, legal experts, including Pace University Law School professor Bennett Gershman, indicate that the process is complicated.

The indictment alleges that Adams accepted free travel from a Turkish airline valued at tens of thousands of dollars while serving as Brooklyn borough president.

He reportedly paid just $600 for two nights in a luxury suite at the St. Regis hotel in Istanbul, far below its actual cost of $7,000.

For his 2021 mayoral campaign, Adams allegedly concealed campaign contributions from Turkish sources by routing them through U.S. citizens. These funds enabled him to qualify for an additional $10 million in public financing.

“This was a multi-year scheme to buy favor with a single New York City politician on the rise,” said Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

Prosecutors claim that Adams responded to requests from Turkish diplomats, notably pressuring city safety inspectors to allow the new consulate to open in time for a September 2021 visit by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, despite it failing a fire inspection.

Following Adams’ inquiries, a senior Fire Department official reportedly indicated he would face job loss if the consulate did not open. Adams subsequently informed the diplomat of the Fire Department’s approval for the building’s opening.

“You are a true friend of Türkiye,” the diplomat allegedly responded.

The indictment also details other alleged favors. Before becoming mayor, Adams is said to have severed ties with a Brooklyn community center that the diplomat claimed was affiliated with a hostile political movement. Shortly after his inauguration in 2022, an Adams staffer reportedly assured the diplomat that the mayor would refrain from making a statement regarding the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, which the U.S. has classified as genocide.

Adams expressed his intention to seek a public trial to defend his actions, stating, “If it’s foreign donors, I know I don’t take money from foreign donors.”

Political fallout and resignations

The case could complicate Adams’ prospects for re-election in 2025, as other Democratic politicians, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, are poised to challenge him. U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for Adams to resign, while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has refrained from such a demand, instead expressing hope for the city’s well-being on social media.

New York has faced significant political upheaval in recent weeks, with Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigning on September 12, shortly after FBI agents seized his phone. Following that, Adams’ chief legal adviser also stepped down. On Wednesday, the city’s public schools chief, David Banks, announced he would retire at the end of the year after reports emerged of federal agents seizing his phones.