What's New
A former top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams surrendered to authorities this week amid recent corruption charges, marking another blow to an administration already hit by investigations targeting several aides and political allies.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who stepped down Sunday as one of the most influential figures in City Hall, was spotted entering the lower Manhattan office of District Attorney Alvin Bragg early Thursday.
Bragg and Jocelyn Strauber, commissioner of the city's Department of Investigation, have scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon. While the subject has not been disclosed, two sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Lewis-Martin is expected to be arraigned later in the day on charges filed by Bragg's office.
Why It Matters
The individuals, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, did not disclose the specific charges against Lewis-Martin. Requests for comment from The Associated Press were sent Thursday to the district attorney's office and to Lewis-Martin's attorney, Arthur Aidala.
The Department of Investigation declined to comment on Wednesday.
Lewis-Martin is expected to face criminal charges over alleged improper gifts, her attorney Arthur Aidala told reporters earlier this week.
What To Know
The Adams administration has been engulfed by multiple criminal investigations. Adams, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery in a separate federal case set to go to trial next April.
Lewis-Martin, 63, has been one of Mayor Eric Adams' closest confidants, holding senior roles alongside him for nearly two decades as he rose through the ranks of New York government.
Prosecutors confronted her at a New York airport in September as she disembarked from a flight from Japan. Federal prosecutors served her with a subpoena, while Manhattan investigators seized her phones and searched her home.
Adams was charged in September with accepting luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals seeking to gain his influence. The investigation surfaced publicly late last year when federal agents raided the home of Brianna Suggs, the mayor's top fundraiser. Lewis-Martin has previously referred to Suggs as her goddaughter.
Since then, the Adams administration has been beset by searches and seizures conducted by investigators, resulting in the resignations of several high-ranking officials, including the police commissioner, schools chancellor, multiple deputy mayors and the director of Asian affairs.
What People Are Saying
On Monday, Lewis-Martin pushed back against the allegations in comments to the media, saying she was being "falsely accused" and insisting that she had "not made any arrangements in advance to take any gifts or money, or to have any gifts or money given to a family member or friend in order for me to do my job."
What's Next
It is currently unclear how Adams will respond to the recent news of Lewis-Martin's surrender to the police.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
English (US) ·