New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces federal criminal charges over a corruption investigation, making him the first mayor in modern New York City history to be criminally charged. A 57-page indictment, unveiled on Thursday, charges Adams of crimes such as wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations, and bribery, revealing an alleged scheme of corruption spanning over a decade.
An unnamed Turkish diplomat in the indictment, referenced over 100 times as the “Turkish official,” allegedly arranged Adams free and subsidized travel through Turkish Airlines. Additionally, prosecutors stated that Adams received free or discounted stays at luxury hotels facilitated by his contacts, who also poured thousands of dollars into his mayoral election campaigns. According to the indictment, Adams accepted over $100,000 in illegal funds from Turkish businessmen and officials seeking to benefit from his influence. He is also accused of misusing $10 million (£7.4 million) in public funds.
Furthermore, Adams is accused of utilizing straw donors to bypass campaign finance laws by funneling illegal foreign donations through others. The indictment claims that Adams hid contributions from Turkish sources through U.S. citizens, making the donations appear legitimate to allow him to raise money for his 2021 mayoral campaign and qualify for an extra $10 million in public financing.
In return, Adams allegedly granted political favors to Turkish officials, such as pressuring city safety inspectors to allow Türkiye’s new 36-story consulate to open in time for Turkish President Erdoğan’s September 2021 visit. He also allegedly threatened to fire a city employee if he refused to certify that the consulate was meeting safety standards despite the fact that it was failing a fire inspection. Despite these claims, there is still insufficient information on the political demands made by the Turkish government in exchange for the bribes Adams allegedly accepted.
Earlier on Thursday, his home at Gracie Mansion in Manhattan was searched by federal agents. Adams denied the charges and has pleaded not guilty, urging New Yorkers to withhold judgment until his defense is heard. If convicted, he could face up to 45 years in prison.
According to U.S. media, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said he was also offered generous gifts by Turkish officials but refused them due to legal and ethical concerns. Moreover, shortly after taking office in 2022, Turkish government officials offered him a complimentary flight to Istanbul along with other expensive gifts including eight porcelain, gold-plated tea sets from the Turkish Consulate, which he also declined.
Following the corruption investigation, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which a spokesperson highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to “non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.” The spokesperson emphasized that Türkiye’s intervention in the internal affairs of any country is out of the question, as foreign representations operate in full compliance with the Vienna Convention and international diplomatic protocols.
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) leader Özgür Özel responded to the corruption allegations during his visit to New York for a Socialist International meeting. He answered the journalists' questions in front of the consulate building, surprisingly backing the government. He stated that Türkiye is not a country that needs to make use of bribery and if they had received any “gesture” from the mayor, it was for the efforts to allocate space for the new US embassy in Türkiye. Özel’s stance was heavily criticized by the Turkish public along with CHP's previous leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He criticized Özel in a social media post, accusing him of whitewashing bribery and turning a blind eye to the governments wrongdoings as part of normalization efforts with the government.
Edited by: Derya Selin Yener, Oya Yamaç