New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing allegations of taking bribes from foreign nationals and engaging in corrupt practices over nearly a decade, according to a 57-page indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors. Adams has vehemently denied the charges, calling them “entirely false” and based on lies. He has vowed to fight the injustices with all his strength and spirit. Despite the accusations, Adams, a former captain with the NYPD, was elected mayor on a pro-NYPD platform in 2021 and is seeking re-election in 2025. The indictment alleges that Adams accepted luxuries for little or no cost, used fake paper trails and cash to conceal them, and engaged in favoritism in return. He is also accused of using a donation matching program to steal around $10 million in public funds.
The allegations against Adams include receiving money from Turkish nationals who believed he could become president someday. Foreign nationals seeking favors from Adams allegedly funneled cash through American citizens in a “straw man” setup. Text exchanges showed discussions about how to secretly donate to Adams’ campaign without violating the law. At least one Turkish national believed Adams may become president of the United States in the future. It was revealed that Adams received free or heavily discounted flights from a Turkish airline for himself and his companions, along with other luxuries during visits to Turkey.
Despite attempts to hide his actions, incriminating texts between Adams and his staff were mentioned in the indictment. One staff member was caught deleting encrypted messaging applications used to communicate with Adams and his Turkish contacts. Adams was accused of helping open a costly new skyscraper, which served as the new home of the Turkish consulate, despite concerns raised by the New York Fire Department about the building’s defects. He allegedly made construction problems disappear to ensure the building opened in time for a visit by the Turkish president in September 2021.
It was detailed in the indictment that one of the straw donors reached out to Adams about an issue with the Department of Buildings that only Adams could resolve. Adams apparently seemed to enjoy a level of fame and popularity in Turkey, with the indictment mentioning references to leveraging Adams’ fame in the country for the benefit of the promoter’s clients. In addition, there were indications that Adams was living extravagantly on his visits to Turkey, enjoying stays at luxury hotels, yacht tours, and more.
The indictment also mentioned Adams’ alleged association with Turkish contacts who requested him not to make a statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2022. It was suggested in a text message that Adams could leverage his position for the benefit of Turkish interests. Prosecutors described a fundraising event linked to Adams that was filled with wealthy foreign nationals, billed as a climate-related event, with a PowerPoint presentation created to conceal the true purpose of the gathering. Despite Adams stating he had changed his phone password and forgotten it when the FBI tried to access his devices, accusations of corrupt actions continued to mount against the New York City mayor.
