The mayor of New York City pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges while appearing in court on Friday.
Mayor Eric Adams is accused of accepting over $123,000 in luxury goods and fraudulently acquiring $10 million in public funds from Turkish officials. He has been charged with wire fraud, bribery, two counts of receiving campaign contributions from a foreign national, and conspiracy.
He appeared in Manhattan Federal Court wearing a blue suit and red tie. He sat at the defense table with his hands clasped and looked straight ahead.
“I am not guilty, Your Honor,” the mayor told Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker when asked for his plea. “The entire body of evidence is one staffer. One staffer that says there was a conversation. What you have not learned is that staffer has lied.”
Adams' lawyer, Alex Spiro, said he expects the charges will be dismissed, per The New York Post.
During his arraignment, Adams was barred from speaking to any witness about the charges. He did not have to surrender his passport and was released on his own recognizance.
“This case isn’t even a real case. This is the airline upgrade corruption case,” Spiro told reporters outside the courtroom.
Adams will next appear in court on Oct. 2 at 10:30 a.m.
In a recorded statement released Wednesday before his indictment, Adams denied any wrongdoing. He suggested the investigation into his action was a form of retaliation from the Biden-Harris administration over his criticism of the illegal immigration crisis.
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for all of you that I would be a target — and a target I became,” he said, per NBC New York. “I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength, and my spirit.”
“Make no mistake: you elected me to lead this city — and lead it I will,” he added. “I humbly ask for your prayers and your patience as we see this through.”
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement on Thursday that the mayor “abused his position as this City’s highest elected official” as well as his previous position as Brooklyn Borough President “to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions.”
“By allegedly taking improper and illegal benefits from foreign nationals—including to allow a Manhattan skyscraper to open without a fire inspection—Adams put the interests of his benefactors, including a foreign official, above those of his constituents,” Williams said. “This Office and our partners at the FBI and DOI will continue to pursue corruption anywhere in this City, especially when that corruption takes the form of illegal foreign influence on our democratic system.”
A wave of New York officials has called on Adams to vacate his office in the wake of his indictment – including 17 city councilmembers, four members of the United States House of Representatives from New York, the city’s comptroller, nine state senators, and 12 state assembly members.
“The calls for Adams to step down had already been growing in the weeks since the federal government conducted a series of raids on his top aides,” reports Intelligencer. “Those calling for his resignation have largely been progressives from the State Legislature and the City Council who often clashed with the more moderate Adams on policy.”
