In an ongoing federal investigation, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was issued a federal subpoena, and her cellphone was seized.
The development follows allegations against Mayor Adams involving bribery, fraud, and the solicitation of illegal foreign campaign donations.
The investigation is part of a broader probe into potential corruption in Adams’ administration. Lewis-Martin’s legal team emphasized her cooperation, clarifying that she is not a target of the investigation.
Mayor Adams has denied all allegations, suggesting political motives behind the accusations.
Adams “sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him,” the indictment reads. “As Adams’s prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash in on their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when, in 2021, it became clear that Adams would become New York City’s mayor.”
The indictment states that Adams “sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions in the form of ‘nominee’ or ‘straw’ contributions, meaning that the true contributors conveyed their money through nominal donors, who falsely certified that they were contributing their own money.”
According to the DOJ, this action “defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on US elections.”