NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Eric Adams has never been shy about his globetrotting ways. But it is not always said how he financed foreign adventures for years.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Thursday saying the Democrat made trips to France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, Ghana and Turkey that were paid for in whole or in part by people seeking to buy his influence in city government.
The gifts, according to prosecutors, included free hotel rooms, seat upgrades worth thousands of dollars, expensive meals, entertainment — even a trip to a Turkish bath. All told, the benefits were worth more than $100,000, prosecutors said.
The indictment also accuses Adams of conspiring to collect illegal donations for his campaigns, in part by funneling them through straw donors who had not actually contributed the money.
Adams says he has done nothing wrong and has no plans to resign. His attorney, Alex Spiro, criticized the allegations as a tangle of innuendo designed to mislead the public and tarnish the mayor.
Here are highlights from the 57-page indictment:
Key allegations against Adams
Adams is accused of abusing a yearslong relationship with people with ties to Turkey, who financed his travels and boosted 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 not legally allowed to donate 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 would not be subject to a fire inspection, which would surely fail.
At one point, a Turkish official praised Adams as a “true friend of Turkey,” according to the indictment. Adams is said to have replied: “Yes, even more of a true friend of yours. You are my brother. I hear (sic) to help.”
The indictment stated that Adams also agreed not to release any 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 mentioned by name – but there are many more characters who figure prominently in the indictment.
There’s the “Turkish Official,” a senior official in Turkey’s diplomatic establishment who allegedly arranged Adams’ travel benefits 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 of Turkish Airlines who booked Adams’ free and deeply discounted flights and business class upgrades.
There was also “Businessman-1,” the owner of a Turkish university who prosecutors said was considering a business venture in Brooklyn; the “Businesswoman,” who gave Adams free or deeply discounted stays in lavish 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” devised a scheme — personally approved by Adams — to funnel up to $100,000 in prohibited campaign contributions to him through American employees at a Turkish university, the indictment alleges.
At one point, an Adams employee tried to discourage the idea, saying Adams probably wouldn’t be interested in “such games” because it “might cause a big stink later,” according to the complaint. But prosecutors said Adams liked the idea. and ordered his staff to give chase.
“The Promoter” reportedly told his associates that Adams was worth supporting because he could one day become president.
‘That’s how things work in this country’
At one point, the indictment says, a construction company owner tried to recruit others from the industry and the Turkish community to support Adams with campaign contributions and gifts. things work in this country.”
What does Adams’ lawyer say?
Spiro said the conduct described in the complaint was not illegal or that the mayor was involved.
The Turkish consulate asked for “a courtesy,” not a refund, when it wanted Adams’ help in skipping a fire inspection, Spiro said, adding, “New Yorkers do this all the time.” Adams said he would see what he could do and ignored a follow-up phone call from the consulate a few days later, Spiro alleged.
“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 is nothing illegal or unusual about that.
“If you really look at this — if you take a moment to step back and look at this — look at the flights they’re talking about, the travel, the costs,” Spiro said. “The flight they are talking about, that free flight, took place in 2017 – seven years ago, five years before he became mayor. There is nothing illegal or inappropriate about that.”
Adams’ flight upgrades landed him in otherwise vacant seats, the lawyer said, arguing 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 members of Congress. These are empty seats that cost the airlines nothing.”
Alleged cover-up
The indictment alleges that Adams and co-conspirators took steps to cover their tracks, including creating a false paper trail to make it appear as if he had paid in full for flights that were free or deeply discounted.
The complaint also accused the mayor and others of making things difficult for investigators.
FBI agents seized electronic devices from Adams last November as he left an event. According to the complaint, the mayor handed over 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, the complaint said.
According to the indictment, at one point an Adams employee who met with FBI agents excused herself, went to a restroom and deleted the encrypted messaging app she had used to communicate with the mayor, the Turkish official, the contact from the Turkish airline and others.
