New York Mayor Eric Adams pleads not guilty to corruption charges

“I americium not guilty, your honor,” Adams said erstwhile Parker asked for his plea.

His lawyer, Alex Spiro, said helium would record a question to disregard the charges adjacent week. Adams is adjacent owed successful tribunal connected Oct. 2.

The politician was released without having to station immoderate bail connected the information that helium not person interaction with witnesses oregon radical named successful the indictment. Parker said determination would beryllium exceptions for unit and household members, truthful agelong arsenic helium does not sermon the details of the indictment with them.

In the indictment unsealed connected Thursday, national prosecutors said Turkish diplomats and businesspeople illegally funneled wealth to Adams’ run and showered him with luxury question perks, including business-class airplane tickets, opulent edifice stays, and meals astatine high-end restaurants.

In exchange, Adams successful 2021 pressured metropolis officials to let Turkey’s caller 36-story consulate to unfastened contempt information concerns, according to prosecutors.

A Turkish overseas ministry spokesperson said connected Friday that Ankara was pursuing the proceedings successful Adams’ lawsuit intimately and that its diplomats adhered to protocol.

“Our diplomatic missions transportation retired their duties successful conformity with the Vienna Conventions and diplomatic traditions,” the spokesperson said. “It is retired of the question for america to interfere successful the interior affairs of immoderate country.”

After the hearing, Spiro told reporters the accusations rested connected the assertions of an Adams staffer who falsely implicated Adams. He minimized the severity of the charges and said helium expected them to beryllium dismissed.

“This isn’t adjacent a existent case. This is the hose upgrade corruption case,” Spiro said.

Political Upheaval

Adams, a erstwhile constabulary serviceman who roseate to the fertile of captain, is the archetypal of the city’s 110 mayors to beryllium charged with a national transgression portion successful office.

The largest US metropolis has been successful a authorities of governmental upheaval for the past period arsenic national probes swirled astir elder officials.

The constabulary commissioner resigned connected Sept. 12 aft FBI agents seized his phone. Days later, Adams’ apical ineligible advisor stepped down.

Jerry Nadler, a US Representative from Manhattan and the apical Democrat connected the House Judiciary Committee, connected Friday called connected Adams to resign, joining a increasing chorus of salient metropolis officials and lawmakers.

But 2 almighty Democratic lawmakers from Brooklyn, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, stopped abbreviated of doing so.

Adams could beryllium removed from bureau by Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, but the process is complicated, said Pace University Law School prof Bennett Gershman.

Hochul connected Thursday said she would “review my options and obligations arsenic the politician of New York.”

‘First Stop is Always Istanbul’

The alleged strategy dates backmost to 2014, erstwhile Adams became Brooklyn borough president, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, Adams accepted escaped question from Turkish Airlines worthy tens of thousands of dollars portion serving arsenic Brooklyn borough president and paid $600 to enactment 2 nights astatine a luxury suite successful the St. Regis edifice successful Istanbul, good beneath the existent outgo of $7,000.

Prosecutors said Adams would alert connected Turkish Airlines adjacent erstwhile it was inconvenient. “You cognize archetypal halt is ever Istanbul,” helium wrote successful a 2017 substance connection erstwhile his spouse expressed astonishment that they were flying from New York to Paris done Istanbul, according to the indictment.

Turkish Airlines did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Friday.

Adams besides allegedly accepted overseas contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, which is illegal.

Prosecutors accidental Adams responded to Turkish concerns.

Acting connected a petition by a Turkish diplomat, Adams pressured metropolis information inspectors to let the country’s caller consulate to unfastened successful clip for a September 2021 sojourn by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, adjacent though it would person failed a occurrence inspection, the indictment said.

Adams notified the diplomat erstwhile the Fire Department approved the gathering to unfastened aboriginal successful the day, the indictment said.

“You are a existent person of Turkey,” the diplomat allegedly responded.