Indictment against New York mayor alleges corrupt dealings with Turkish government

US federal prosecutors have charged New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is under federal investigation in part because of his alleged corrupt dealings with Turkish government officials who wanted to exert influence over him, reported American media.

The 57-page indictment was unsealed Thursday morning, revealing that Adams faces charges of bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, according to CNN.

The indictment describes alleged illegal actions dating back to 2014, when Adams was Brooklyn borough president.

For nearly a decade, Adams sought and accepted improper and valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businessmen and at least one Turkish government official seeking to exercise an influence on him, the indictment states.

Adams allegedly sought and accepted illegal nominee or straw contributions. By smuggling their contributions to Adams' campaign through straw donors and foreign actors, Adams defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence over U.S. elections, according to the act. 'charge.

The companies also circumvented the city's ban on corporate contributions by directing their donations to multiple employees, the indictment says.

The federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan focused at least in part on whether Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations and whether Adams pressured New York City fire officials to approve the construction of a new skyscraper. named Turkish House (Trkevi) despite security concerns.

Investigators were also looking into whether Adams accepted expensive flights and upgrades on Turkish Airlines, which is partly owned by the Turkish government. And they sought information about a Brooklyn construction company run by Turkish Americans and a small Washington, D.C., university with ties to Turkey.

Adams' ties to the government and the Turkish community go back several years. As Brooklyn borough president, he actively courted wealthy members of South Brooklyn's Turkish community. The mayor says he has visited Turkey at least six times and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan when he was Brooklyn borough president.

One of those trips, taken in 2015, was paid for by the Turkish consulate general, according to financial disclosure forms, which indicate the purpose was to discuss a twinning agreement with Turkish officials.

Most recently, Adams attended an event hosted by First Lady Emine Erdoan at Turkish House on September 19, 2023. The Path to the Global Zero Waste Movement event also brought together the spouses of heads of state and government participating in the 78th session of the United Nations. General assembly.

Adams' intervention allowed President Erdoan, whose penchant for large construction projects was well known in Turkey, to preside over the inauguration of the 35-story Turkish House despite numerous flaws in its fire safety system, according to sources close to the matter. municipal materials and archives. The skyscraper in the center of New York City reflects Turkey's growing power, Erdoan said at the country's 2023 inauguration.

The investigation into Adams remained secret until late last year, when an FBI raid on the home of his top fundraiser made it public. After searching Brianna Suggs' home last November, federal investigators left with two laptops, three iPhones and a cardboard folder labeled Eric Adams. Suggs has not been accused of wrongdoing.

On the day of the search of Suggs' home, agents also searched the New Jersey homes of Rana Abbasova, director of protocol in the Mayor's Office for International Affairs and Adams' former liaison to the Turkish community, and Cenk cal, a former Turkish Airlines executive. and member of the mayoral transition team. Neither Abbasova nor Cal have been publicly accused of wrongdoing.

The indictment comes after the FBI seized Adams' electronic devices in November 2023, when agents approached the mayor and his security detail during a dramatic scene that unfolded on a street in New York. The officers got into the mayor's SUV with him and seized his electronic devices.

In a video released Wednesday evening, Adams, elected mayor of New York in 2021 by the Democratic Party, denied any wrongdoing.

I always knew that if I stood up for New Yorkers, I would be a target and I became a target, he said. If I am accused, I am innocent and I will fight against this with all my strength and mind.

He is the second black mayor of New York and the first sitting mayor of New York City to be charged with a federal crime.