In his 4 years as New York mayor, Eric Adams’ administration was roiled by corruption probes that led to early-morning FBI searches, resignations of high officers and indictments that alleged a rampant tradition of pay-to-play politics on the highest ranges of Metropolis Corridor.
Even with Adams now removed from elected workplace and going through no prices himself, that saga continues.
On Wednesday his former chief of workers, Frank Carone, was arrested on federal prices alleging that he accepted $120,000 in bribes in trade for steering a multimillion-dollar migrant shelter contract to a Queens resort. Three others, together with Carone’s brother, have been additionally indicted. All have pleaded not responsible.
One other of Adams’ closest allies, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, continues to be combating separate bribery prices, which embrace allegations that she exchanged political favors for money, diamond earrings and a talking position on a TV present.
And Adams himself was indicted on bribery prices in 2024, accused of taking unlawful marketing campaign contributions from Turkish officers and offering political favors to them in return. Adams, a Democrat, denied any wrongdoing and people prices have been later dropped on the behest of the Trump administration.
Here’s a have a look at a few of the prison investigations that forged a pall over the nation’s largest metropolis throughout Adams’ tumultuous tenure and its aftermath:
Corruption probe launched early in Adams’ mayoral time period
Quickly after Adams took workplace in January 2022, federal brokers quietly started a corruption investigation into his marketing campaign. It spilled into public view within the fall of 2023, when authorities seized his telephones as he was leaving an occasion. A yr later, federal prosecutors introduced fraud and bribery prices towards him.
The indictment accused Adams of permitting Turkish officers and different businesspeople to purchase his affect with unlawful marketing campaign contributions and steep reductions on abroad journeys. Among the many favors he allegedly offered in return was accelerating the opening of Turkey’s diplomatic constructing in New York, prosecutors mentioned.
Adams denied wrongdoing and insisted, with out proof, that the Biden administration had politically focused his administration due to his criticism of its immigration coverage.
However quickly after President Donald Trump returned to the White Home in early 2025, Justice Division management ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to drop the case, arguing that it was hindering the mayor’s skill to help Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The investigation severely wounded Adams’ efforts final yr to hunt reelection. He skipped the Democratic main and obtained on the poll as an impartial, however finally ended his marketing campaign early.
High adviser accused of buying and selling affect for diamond earrings and a TV present cameo
As former chief adviser, Lewis-Martin was maybe the one metropolis official with extra direct entry to Adams than Carone.
In 2024 she too was indicted for allegedly buying and selling her affect for bribes value greater than $100,000 from these with enterprise earlier than town. Lewis-Martin has denied wrongdoing.
In a single occasion, prosecutors mentioned, Lewis-Martin agreed to quash a deliberate bike lane close to a Brooklyn soundstage on the request of the studio’s house owners in trade for perks together with a promised position on the police drama “Blue Bloods.”
In a separate scheme, prosecutors mentioned, she accepted diamond earrings and money from two actual property builders after which helped to hurry up approvals of their tasks, at occasions overriding security considerations from metropolis regulators.
Her lawyer Arthur Aidala — who can be representing Carone — has mentioned she was merely serving to constituents reduce via town’s thick crimson tape.
The case towards Lewis-Martin was introduced by the Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg, and a listening to is scheduled for Thursday.
Different allies resigned however have confronted no prices
Many who departed Adams’ administration underneath a cloud of scandal — usually after having their gadgets seized and houses searched by federal brokers — haven’t confronted prices.
Amongst them: an adviser to the Chinese language neighborhood who handed a potato chip bag full of money to a reporter after an Adams marketing campaign occasion; the previous police commissioner, whose twin brother was accused of extortion by a Brooklyn bar proprietor; and Adams’ colleges chancellor and deputy mayor, additionally brothers, whose third brother ran a consulting agency that related shoppers with metropolis officers.
Every has denied wrongdoing, and none has been charged with against the law.
Federal authorities have declined to reveal the aim of their searches and whether or not any of the investigations stay energetic.
Some low-level associates pleaded responsible to prices involving unlawful marketing campaign funds
Even after the costs towards Adams have been dropped, prosecutors continued to pursue circumstances towards a few of the lower-level operatives concerned within the indictment.
One, a Brooklyn actual property magnate, was sentenced to a yr of probation final summer time after pleading responsible to working with a Turkish authorities official to funnel unlawful donations to Adams’ 2021 marketing campaign.
And in November an Adams aide who served as his liaison to town’s Muslim communities was sentenced to 3 years of probation for soliciting unlawful marketing campaign funds.
Earlier than handing down that sentence, Choose Dale Ho, who additionally presided over the case towards Adams that was dismissed, likened the mayor’s absence to an “elephant within the room.”
“There’s a notable absence right here of the individual on the apex of the pyramid,” he mentioned.
