Eric Adams' former top aide to face new charges
'The District Attorney has refused to provide any details about the charges,' attorney Arthur Aidala said in a statement, confirming that Lewis-Martin will appear in court in Manhattan on Thursday.
'Despite a lifetime of service as a law-abiding public servant, Ingrid is being forced to enter court with little information. What she does know is this: she has always served the City with integrity, and she will firmly plead not guilty to every charge. While the specifics remain unclear, Ingrid is certain of one thing — she has broken no laws, and she is not guilty,' Aidala added. 'We will be requesting an expedited trial schedule.'
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Post first reported on the imminent charges.
Lewis-Martin resigned from her role as chief adviser to the mayor in December, days before she was indicted on bribery charges. She's accused of helping a pair of real estate developers with bureaucratic issues in exchange for gifts to her son, including $100,000 he allegedly used to purchase a Porsche. She pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.
The new charges will be entirely separate from those allegations, Aidala said. He is expecting at least two new cases to be brought, likely with co-defendants.
'Mayor Adams was not involved in this matter and has not been accused of or implicated in any wrongdoing," City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said in a statement. "He remains focused on what has always been his priority — serving the 8.5 million New Yorkers who call this city home and making their city safer and more affordable every single day. Ingrid Lewis-Martin no longer works for this administration.'
Lewis-Martin remains a volunteer adviser on Adams' reelection campaign.
It would be just the latest legal issue to dog Adams and his inner circle. A federal judge dismissed his own corruption charges after the Trump administration moved to drop the case. But a donor and a staffer have both pleaded guilty to conspiring on straw donor schemes benefitting Adams' campaign, and several other donors pleaded guilty to a separate scheme in state court.
Top members of his administration, including his first deputy mayor, police commissioner and schools chancellor were also pushed out last year after coming under federal investigation.
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