New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleads not guilty to bribery and fraud charges over Turkish flight upgrades and fancy hotel rooms

Eric Adams has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges as he faced court accused of accepting lavish overseas trips in exchange for favors.

He was arraigned in Manhattan Federal Court on Friday as the first New York City mayor to be indicted while in office.

'I'm not guilty, your honor,' he told Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker when asked how he pleaded to the five federal charges.

Adams is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals.

He is also accused of defrauding New York taxpayers of $10 million through allegedly fraudulent campaign funds.

Outside court people chanted 'Eric! Eric!' and shouted: 'Free Eric!' and 'Eric Adams we love you!'

But another onlooker was not so enamored with the mayor, shouting back, 'lock him up!' 

Adams sat in court at a bench next to his lawyer, Alex Spiro, and with no other aides or officials, he looked like any other defendant rather than the Mayor of NYC.

He was not cuffed and his police detail sat two rows behind him in the public gallery, and appeared, glum, impassive, and stared ahead or spoke with Spiro quietly.

Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker addressed Adams by saying: 'Good afternoon'. In his deep voice, he replied: 'Good afternoon'.

Judge Parker said the purpose of the proceedings was to tell Adams his rights, explain the charges against him, and decide if he should get bail.

She told the court that the mayor had the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer.

'Anything you say can be used against you,' the judge said. Judge Parker asked if the Mayor understood and he said: 'Yes I do, your honor'

She read through a summary of the indictment - as she did so, Adams did not react.

Judge Parker ordered Adams released on his own recognizance, and he will not have to give up his passport as part of the terms of his release.

However, he was barred from speaking to any witnesses in the case - including his staff and members of his own family - about matters relating to the case.

The move was an apparent recognition of the fact Adams has to work with some of the potential witnesses in the case as part of his job, and to allow him to communicate with his family.

'He shall have no contact with any individual witnesses or others listed in the list to be proved by the government concerning the facts and circumstances outlined in the indictment,' Judge Parker said.

'This does not preclude Mayor Adams from having routine communications regarding business and private family matters.'

Spiro told the court they were 'going to be wanting a speedy trial'.

He said that at the next hearing, due to take place next Wednesday, they would be filing a motion to dismiss.

In an embarrassing moment for the mayor, Judge Parker told Adams, a former police captain, that if he failed to appear at his next court date or comply with the terms of his release he could be charged with 'bail jumping' and a warrant would be issued for his arrest.

The mayor was told not to have any contact or 'engage in any intimidation' of any witness or court staff or obstruct law enforcement and its investigation.

Adams left the court about 12.40pm and stood next to his lawyer as Spiro made a short speech to the press and public crowded around.

The mayor then got into another black SUV and left, without saying a word. 

Adams' glum demeanor and few words was in contrast to his two defiant speeches on Wednesday and Thursday where he declared his innocence and vowed to fight the charges.

He gave a thumbs up to the scrum of press and New Yorkers who crowded the courthouse steps just beofre 9am on Friday.

He climbed out of a black SUV in a navy suit and red patterned tie, with a pocket square, and strode into the building ahead of his arraignment, set for 12pm.

Adams' arrival two hours ahead of his arraignment gave him ample time to be processed, which typically involves taking a defendant's mugshot, his fingerprints and his personal details.

Mugshots in federal cases are not typically released to the public, unlike Donald Trump's from his criminal case in Atlanta, which was a state matter.

Judge Dale Ho ordered Adams to appear on Friday, despite his lawyer asking the court to delay the arraignment until at least Monday.

Ho will preside over the next hearing on Wednesday, where he will likely ask prosecutors to present their discovery and estimate the length of a trial. 

As Adams was arraigned, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who would become interim mayor if Adams resigned or was removed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, spoke about that possibility.

He didn't called for Adams to quit, but said he should explain how he planned to keep governing while under indictment.

'That's a difficult thing to see could actually happen, from my vantage point, but that doesn’t mean he can't,' he said.

 'Deflection and trying to wave off what is happening is not a plan. That is something else.'

The NYC mayor allegedly took advantage of the city's system of matching campaign contributions with tax dollars, and 'fraudulently obtained as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution', the indictment alleged.

He was allegedly 'relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding.'

'As a result of those false certifications, Adam's 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10,000,000 in public funds', prosecutors said on Thursday.

According to the indictment, Adams' relationship with Turkish officials saw him accept a number of luxurious gifts, including stays in lavish Istanbul hotels.

Adams allegedly pressured the FDNY to open a Turkish government-owned high rise in Manhattan in exchange for 'luxury travel benefits' - despite the building failing safety inspections.

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams alleged Adams 'took corrupt official action in exchange for some of the luxury travel benefits'.

He alleged there were 'significant time pressures' to open the building in time for a visit from Turkey's president, at the urging of a Turkish official.

Adams allegedly accepted over $100,000 worth of amenities and gifts from the Turkish government in exchange for 'influence over him', Williams said.

The alleged gifts included a stay in the St Regis Istanbul hotel, where he stayed with a 'partner' in a luxury suite that would typically have cost $7,000 for two nights, but he allegedly only paid $600.

He is accused of accepting flights from Turkish Airlines 'even when doing so was otherwise inconvenient', with a July 2017 trip from New York to France seeing him stop in Turkey.

When his partner asked him why he was in Turkey, he allegedly responded: 'transferring here. You know first stop is always Istanbul'.

According to prosecutors, Eric Adams accepted an array of luxury gifts and amenities from foreign governments who hoped to buy influence with him.

This included free trips, hotel suites and airline upgrades valued at over $100,000.

For example, he allegedly accepted free business class upgrades with companions for flights from New York to France, Turkey, Sri Lank and China in July 2017.

That same month, he also allegedly enjoyed a hugely discounted stay at the Bentley Suite in the St Regis Hotel in Istanbul, valued at over $3,5000 per night but for which he only paid $300 per night.

Another alleged instance came as one of Adams' staffers made a reservation for a flight to Turkey on the day of the 2021 NYC Democratic primary.

According to prosecutors, when the airline suggested he stay at the Four Seasons, the staffer said it would be 'too expensive' - to which the airline manager responded: 'Why does he care? He is not going to pay.'

The airline manager allegedly added that Adams' 'name will not be on anything either', to which the staffer responded: 'Super.'

Adams held a press conference outside the Gracie Mansion shortly after the federal indictment against him was unsealed on Thursday.

The NYC mayor, 64, defied mounting calls for his resignation as he spoke surrounded by black community leaders in the city, saying he 'will continue to do the job that I was elected to do.'

'My day to day will not change,' Adams said, adding that his lawyers will 'take care of the case.'

Asked if he had any plans to resign, Adams responded: 'I was elected by 700,000 people.'

'Everyone who knows me knows that I follow the campaign rules and I follow the law,' he said.

As Adams spoke, a group of angry protestors shouted him down and demanded he step down from office.

This led one of his supporters around him, Hazel Jones, to shout back from the podium for the protestors to 'shut up.'

Adams earlier accused the feds of going after him because he expressed displeasure with the Biden Administration on immigration.

Defiant in a pre-recorded statement on Wednesday night, Adams said: 'It is now my belief that the federal government is attempting charge me with crimes. If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies.

'But they will not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target. And a target I became.

'For months, leaks, rumors, have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty,' he went on.

'Just this past week, they searched the home of our new police commissioner, looking for documents from 20 years ago.

'Enough.'

Adams went on to say, citing how the raid came just a week after new commissioner Thomas Donlon suddenly replaced predecessor Edward Caban, who was handpicked by Adams to replace outgoing Keechant Sewell.

'I will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit,' Adams declared.

'If I'm charged, I know I am innocent. I will request an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth.' 

The political newcomer proceeded to point his law enforcement background, which he leaned on intensely three years ago during a successful campaign that touted him as tough-on-crime.

'New Yorkers know my story and know where I come from,' the former police captain said. 'I have been fighting injustices my entire life. That fight has continued as your mayor.

Turning back to the migrant situation that has seen 217,300 foreigners funneled into the city, he proclaimed: 'Despite our pleas, the federal government did nothing as it's broken immigration policies [and] overloaded our shelter system.

'I put the people of New York before party and politics,' the mayor pressed on - before a lengthy pause.

He went on to concede how in coming days, he will likely face calls to resign, but said he will resist all calls to step down. 

'But I have been facing these lies for months, since I began to speak out for all of you - and there investigation started,' he continued, crying conspiracy

 'Yet, the city has continued to improve.' 

'You elected me to lead this city, and lead it I will. I humbly ask for your prayers and patience as we see this through. God bless you, and God bless the city of New York. Thank you.'

Adams initially welcomed the concept of New York being a sanctuary city - with the then campaigning mayor, just days before he was elected, celebrating the then new arrivals as 'keeping our city running' during the pandemic.

'The days I spent with our essential employees, a substantial number of them were undocumented,' he added at the time, before changing his tune a little over a year later.

'They were delivering out Uber Eats, they were stocking our stores, they were out in the streets keeping our city running.'

As the border crisis worsened, Adams abruptly changed his tune, asking for federal help In July 2022.

The following month, he said the city had a 'moral and legal obligation to house anyone who is experiencing homelessness.' 

By the start of 2023, he shifted gears completely, having civic staffers hand out yellow fliers to immigrants that disclaimed was 'no guarantee' they would receive shelter or services if they went to New York.

'Housing in NYC is very expensive,' the fliers said. 'Please consider another city as you make your decision about where to settle in the US.'