Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, quits

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief adviser to embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams, abruptly resigned Sunday, nearly three months after the mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges.

Lewis-Martin, who was subpoenaed in late September as part of an ongoing Southern District of New York investigation of Adams, said she is retiring to focus on her family and called her resignation “bittersweet.”

“Throughout my years of service, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most amazing individuals in the public and private sectors,” Lewis-Martin said in a statement. “I will miss the day-to-day interactions and the excitement of being at the forefront of effectuating positive change for the greater and common good.”

She has not been charged with a crime.

The New York Times reported Sunday that prosecutors in Manhattan have turned over evidence to a grand jury related to corruption allegations against Lewis-Martin and could seek an indictment this week.

Arthur Aidala, of Manhattan, an attorney for Lewis-Martin, did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Lewis-Martin, 63, has served in her current position at City Hall since Adams first took office in 2022 and previously worked as a top aide during his tenure as Brooklyn borough president and in the New York State Senate. A native New Yorker, she has spent more than four decades in public service, according to a bio from the mayor’s office.

“Ingrid has not been just a friend, a confidant, and trusted advisor, but also a sister,” Adams said in a statement. “We’ve always talked about when this day would come, and while we’ve long planned for it, it is still hard to know that Ingrid won’t be right next door every day. I, and every New Yorker, owe her a debt of gratitude for her decades of service to our city. While she gets to spend a lot more time with her granddaughter, I know Ingrid will still stay involved in moving our city forward from the sidelines as she continues to root for our administration and our city.”

Lewis-Martin previously spoke publicly about the “distractions” of working in the mayor’s office since Adams, 64, was indicted Sept. 24 on five counts of bribery, wire fraud and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. The adviser’s home was searched by federal investigators Sept. 27 and she said her cellphone was seized as she was greeted by investigators at Kennedy Airport from a vacation to Japan that day.

“It’s difficult,” Lewis-Martin said at the time. “You know, we do get distracted. It’s hard sometimes to focus.”

Adams has pleaded not guilty to the alleged campaign finance scheme, which dates back to his time as a borough president. Prosecutors say he secretly took illegal donations from Turkish nationals, and got luxury travel in exchange for granting access and favorable treatment.

The indictment against Adams says Turkish Airlines officials regularly upgraded Adams, his girlfriend and family members on trips to France, China, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Turkey and other foreign locales.

Adams’ Turkish benefactors also contributed generously to his 2021 campaign for mayor, hiding the donations through straw donors, prosecutors have said. Adams then assisted his Turkish benefactors by putting pressure on public officials to circumvent city rules and regulations, prosecutors have alleged.

At least a dozen others in Adams’ circle have been subpoenaed, had their homes raided by the FBI, seen their electronics seized or been served with warrants, Newsday previously reported. There are at least three, and possibly four, other pending investigations besides the one for which Adams was indicted.

With Matthew Chayes

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.