What to Know About the Charges and Investigations Surrounding Eric Adams
Mr. Adams is not expected to be charged, but four people with knowledge of the matter said that a number of his close allies would be: his former chief adviser and close friend, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, and her son, Glenn Martin II; Jesse Hamilton, a former state senator and friend of the mayor's; and two influential supporters, Gina and Tony Argento.
The charges are part of a swirl of criminal cases, corruption investigations and allegations of misconduct that have tarnished the mayoralty of Mr. Adams, a Democrat who took office in 2022 and is running as an independent in November. These legal troubles, including federal corruption charges against the mayor himself that were later abandoned by the Trump Justice Department, caused chaos in the city government, tanked the mayor's approval ratings and alienated many Democrats. In the mayoral race, Mr. Adams is polling around the single digits, lagging behind Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee; former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is also running as an independent; and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate.
Here is a guide to the legal and political quagmires involving the mayor and his associates.
The mayor's criminal indictment
Mr. Adams became the first sitting mayor in the modern history of New York City to face criminal charges when he was accused last fall of abusing his office to obtain free and discounted travel and illegal foreign campaign contributions.
Federal prosecutors charged him in a five-count indictment with conspiracy, wire fraud, bribery and soliciting illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals.
Prosecutors said the illegal activity dated to 2014, when Mr. Adams became Brooklyn borough president. They said the scheme centered on currying favor with Turkish officials and businesspeople while accepting at least $123,000 in flight upgrades and airline tickets.
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