Prosecutors accused New York Mayor Eric Adams of accepting illegal contributions to his election campaign, as well as taking advantage of luxury trips offered by Turkish citizens who wanted to influence him in this way. Adams is the first mayor in the city's history to experience this while in office.
In a 57-page indictment, prosecutors outlined Eric Adams' alleged scheme dating back to 2014 that they say helped finance his 2021 mayoral campaign.
According to the indictment, Adams traveled free of charge on Turkish Airlines at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars and paid $600 for two nights in a luxury suite in an Istanbul hotel, well below the actual cost, which was around $7,000.
Contributions from Turkish sources
During his 2021 mayoral campaign, investigators say Adams concealed campaign contributions from Turkish sources. Thanks to this, the politician could apply for an additional $10 million in public funding.
Investigators say Adams accepted more than a hundred thousand dollars in total for luxury travel. In return, the politician pressured city officials to waive security inspections and allow the opening of the new 36-story Turkish consulate. “This was a multi-year scheme to buy favor with one New York politician who gained popularity,” said Damian Williams, the chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan.
Adams, 64, has denied committing the crime and said he would fight the charges. He added that he would not give up. – I will continue to do my job as mayor – he emphasized.
Eric AdamsSARAH YENESEL/PAP
Mayor of New York from 2021
Eric Adams has been in his role for less than three years. ABC News notes that Adams was the second African-American to serve as mayor of the nation's largest city USA. He is a retired police captain. He argued that as a former policeman, he always followed the rules. He promised to run a campaign to reduce crime and introduce professionalism to the country's largest municipal government.
Main photo source: SARAH YENESEL/PAP