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Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams' confidant, says she expects to be indicted
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Dec 16, 2024
Modified Dec 16, 2024
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Elizabeth Kim
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Dec 16, 2024
Modified Dec 16, 2024
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Mayor Eric Adams’ former chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, said Monday that she expects to be indicted in the coming days — which would make her the highest-ranking member of the Adams administration beyond the mayor himself to be charged with a crime.
“I'm being falsely accused of something,” Lewis-Martin said at a cramped press conference held at her lawyer's office in Midtown Manhattan. “I don't know exactly what it is, but I know that I was told that it's something that's illegal, and I have never done anything illegal in my capacity in government.”
“I’ve worked in government for over 35 years,” she added. “I have never taken any gifts, money, anything.”
The announcement that she expects to be charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office came one day after Lewis-Martin, one of Adams’ closest confidants, abruptly resigned. She is the latest — and arguably most integral — member of Adams’ close inner circle to leave City Hall since the mayor’s indictment on federal corruption charges in September.
Lewis-Martin, like the mayor, maintains that she is not guilty.
“This is about politics and not about justice,” her lawer, Arthur Aidala, said Monday.
Aidala said he did not know the nature of the potential charges and declined to offer specifics about the case. He said he had reached out repeatedly to ask if he and his client could sit down with prosecutors but was turned down, a decision he called unfair and “disheartening.”
Doug Cohen, a spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, issued a brief statement in response to Aidala’s claims.
“Because this office acts with the utmost integrity, it would be inappropriate for us to respond," Cohen said.
At his weekly City Hall press conference, Adams said he had prayed for Lewis-Martin on Monday morning.
“She's not only has been constantly by my side throughout this entire journey,” the mayor said. “I love her so much, and I just really ask God to give her strength in the days to come.”
But he avoided answering any questions about her potential pending indictment, saying that those should be directed to her lawyer.
Lewis-Martin’s looming indictment is being pursued by state prosecutors, unlike Adams' federal case. On Monday, Aidala said that the Manhattan DA’s case was based on phone and email records the office had seized — which he claimed were misrepresented.
Investigators with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office seized Lewis-Martin’s phones at JFK airport in September. At the time, she was returning from a trip to Japan with Department of Citywide Administrative Services deputy commissioner Jesse Hamilton, whose phone was also taken, and Cushman & Wakefield real estate broker Diana Boutross.
In response to a question from a reporter, Aidala said that he expected Lewis-Martin would be indicted alongside other people, though he did not specify how many or who.
Lewis-Martin announced her expected indictment less than two hours after the news broke that the mayor had not qualified to receive the first payment of public matching funds, marking a blow to his reelection campaign.
Hours after Lewis-Martin resigned on Sunday, the New York Times first reported that Manhattan prosecutors had presented a grand jury with evidence that could lead to her indictment.
Tagged
Adams investigations
Politics
eric adams
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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