A look inside the indictment accusing New York City's mayor of taking bribes

[September 27, 2024]  By MICHAEL R. SISAK

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has never been shy about his globetrotting ways. But he’s not always said how he bankrolled years' worth of overseas adventures.

Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Thursday saying the Democrat took trips to France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, Ghana and Turkey that were partly or fully paid for by people looking to buy his influence in city government.

The gifts, prosecutors said, included free hotel rooms, seat upgrades worth thousands of dollars, expensive meals, entertainment — even a trip to a Turkish bath. All told, the perks were worth more than $100,000, prosecutors said.

The indictment also accuses Adams of conspiring to collect illegal donations to his campaigns, partly by funneling them through straw donors who hadn’t actually contributed the money.

Adams says he didn’t do anything wrong and has no plans to resign. His lawyer, Alex Spiro, criticized the charges as a jumble of innuendo meant to mislead the public and tarnish the mayor.

Here are highlights from the 57-page indictment:

Key allegations against Adams

Adams is accused of exploiting a yearslong relationship with people tied to Turkey, who funded his travel and fueled his run for mayor with donations that helped him qualify for more than $10 million in public campaign funds. People who are not U.S. citizens are banned by law from donating to U.S. political candidates.

Prosecutors say Adams returned the favor in September 2021 by ensuring that Turkey's newly built diplomatic tower in Manhattan wouldn't be subject to a fire inspection, which it was certain to fail.

At one point, a Turkish official praised Adams as a “true friend of Turkey,” according to the indictment. Adams allegedly responded: ”Yes even more a true friend of yours. You are my brother. I am hear (sic) to help."

The indictment said Adams also agreed not to release a statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day that would reflect poorly on Turkey.

Adams is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery and receiving campaign contributions from a foreign national.

Who is named in the indictment?

Adams is the only person charged and the only person identified by name — but there are lots of other characters who factor prominently in the indictment.

There's the “Turkish Official,” a senior official in the Turkish diplomatic establishment said to have arranged Adams' travel perks and facilitated straw donations to his campaign; “The Promoter,” a Turkish entrepreneur who prosecutors say organized events to introduce Adams to Turkish businesspeople; and the “Airline Manager,” a New York City-based general manager for Turkish Airlines who booked Adams' free and heavily discounted flights and business class upgrades.

There were also “Businessman-1,” the owner of a Turkish University who prosecutors say was considering a business venture in Brooklyn; the “Businesswoman,” who gave Adams free or steeply discounted stays in opulent suites at the St. Regis Istanbul, a luxury hotel she owned; plus “Businessman-2,” “Businessman-3,” “Businessman-4,” and “Businessman-5,” all of whom were accused of being involved in straw donations.

‘The Promoter’

Prosecutors said the person they identified as “The Promoter” concocted a plan — personally approved by Adams — to funnel up to $100,000 in banned campaign contributions to him through U.S. employees of a Turkish university, the indictment alleges.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, second right, exits Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

At one point, an Adams staffer tried to discourage the idea, saying Adams likely wouldn’t be interested in “such games” because it “might cause a big stink later on," according to the indictment. But prosecutors said Adams liked the idea and directed his staffer to pursue it.

“The Promoter” purportedly told associates that Adams was worth supporting because he could become president someday.

'This is how things work in this country'

At one point, the indictment says, a construction company owner tried to recruit others in industry and the Turkish community to back Adams with campaign contributions and gifts, writing, in part, this “may feel like swimming against the current but unfortunately this is how things work in this country.”

What does Adams’ lawyer say?

Spiro told reports the conduct described in the indictment wasn’t illegal or didn’t involve the mayor.

The Turkish consulate was asking for “a courtesy,” not payback, when it wanted Adams’ help in skipping a fire inspection, Spiro said, adding: “New Yorkers do this all the time.” Adams said he’d see what he could do and, a few days later, ignored a follow up phone call from the consulate, Spiro asserted.

“There is no corruption. This is not a real case,” Spiro said.

Spiro said Adams sent emails telling his staff never to accept foreign donations.

As for the free flights and upgrades, Spiro said there’s nothing illegal or unusual about that.

“When you actually look at this -- if you just take a second to step back and look at this -- look at the flights they talk about, the travel, the expenses,” Spiro said. “The flight they talk about, that free flight was in 2017 -- seven years ago, five years before he’s the mayor. There’s nothing illegal or improper about that.”

Adams’ flight upgrades put him in otherwise open seats, the defense attorney said, contending that such arrangements are a common practice in the airline industry.

“That’s what airlines do,” Spiro said. “They do it every day. They do it for VIPs. They do it for congresspeople. They’re empty seats that cost the airlines nothing.”

Alleged cover up

The indictment claims that Adams and co-conspirators took steps to cover their tracks, including making a false paper trail to make it appear as if he had fully paid for flights that were free or deeply discounted.

The indictment also accused the mayor and others of making it difficult for investigators.

FBI agents seized electronic devices from Adams last November as he left an event. According to the indictment, the mayor produced two phones but not the personal phone. Adams later turned over that phone in response to a subpoena, but it was locked and required a password.

Adams claimed to have forgotten it, the indictment said.

According to the indictment, an Adams staffer who met with FBI agents excused herself at one point, went to a bathroom and deleted the encrypted messaging app she had used to communicate with the mayor, the Turkish official, the Turkish airline contact and others.

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