The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, prosecuted for corruption, notably in connection with alleged illicit campaign financing, pleaded not guilty on Friday.
• Also read: New York Mayor Accused of Corruption; his residence searched
“I am not guilty, your honor,” the 64-year-old Democrat, wearing a navy blue suit and purple tie, told the court during his official arraignment.
The New York mayor then left the court without comment, simply giving a thumbs up.
AFP
Eric Adams is being prosecuted for having been “showered with gifts” for years, particularly from Turkey, without ever declaring them as he was required to do, Manhattan federal prosecutor Damian said the day before. Williams.
The indictment unveiled Thursday mentions in particular acts of electronic fraud, illegal solicitation of contributions for an electoral campaign from a foreign person and the acceptance of bribes paid by a Turkish official.
In exchange, Eric Adams, who became mayor of New York in 2021 after winning the Democratic primary, is said to have used his influence with the city’s firefighters to accelerate the opening of a skyscraper housing the mission of Turkey to the United Nations and its consulate general.
Eric Adams, who said he was “impatient” to defend himself during a press briefing in front of his residence, which was searched early Thursday morning, has ruled out resigning.
The indictment details suspicions of illegal contributions from foreign donors, and gifts in the form of luxurious plane trips on the lines of a Turkish airline, as well as stays in posh hotels, which enabled the democrat to expand its international networks.
So many favors that the former mayor of the borough of Brooklyn, who was preparing his campaign to become mayor of New York, should have declared as an elected official.
His indictment sounds like a bolt from the blue and further weakens the person responsible for the largest city in the United States (8.5 million inhabitants).
Former African-American New York police captain elected in 2021 on promises of security, Eric Adams saw his popularity rate drop during his mandate, while cases targeting town hall increased.
This is the first time that a serving mayor of New York has been criminally charged and it risks embarrassing the Democratic camp, forty days before the presidential election between Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, neck and neck. -elbow in the polls.
