Mayor Eric Adams indicted: Highlights of the allegations

Federal prosecutors say New York City Mayor Eric Adams solicited illicit campaign contributions from foreign nationals and accepted free and upgraded luxury travel accommodations that he failed to disclose.

Adams used his influence as Brooklyn borough president and later as mayor to benefit the Turkish government, which the feds allege was behind the bribes, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

Adams, who denies the allegations, faces five counts of public corruption, including wire fraud, bribery and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, according to the indictment.

Here are the highlights of the allegations:

Improper campaign funds

During his first campaign for mayor, Adams texted a supporter about how he planned to get the city’s top job.

"You win the race by raising money ... have to raise money. Everything else is fluff," the mayor said, according to the indictment. "I have a 7 million dollar race. I have a clear plan to raise it and each night we are out executing the plan." 

Prosecutors allege that part of that plan was to accept campaign donations from foreign nationals, who are not permitted to make political donations, by using a web of straw donors.

Starting in 2018, Adams began raising money for his mayoral run from contacts he had made in Turkey and continued throughout the campaign, according to the indictment.

On April 2, 2021, just months before Adams was elected mayor, he, along with a fundraiser and a staffer, had dinner with a Turkish government official and a Turkish businessman, where they allegedly planned further campaign donations.

The next month, that businessman held a fundraiser for Adams, before which he had allegedly paid 10 of his employees $1,250 each so they could make donations to Adams themselves. Eight of those employees made the contributions, while one made the donation in his wife’s name and another made a contribution of $1,200, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors allege more instances of this type of conduct through 2021, as Adams was elected mayor, and say that Adams employed a similar scheme through 2024 as part of his reelection campaign.

Because of New York City’s Matching Funds Program, which matches individual campaign contribution with up to eight times that amount in public money, prosecutors say Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10 million in matching public funds because they concealed the straw donations.

"Adams and those working at his direction falsely certified compliance with applicable campaign finance regulations despite Adams’ repeated acceptance of straw donations, relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law abiding," the indictment says.

Travel perks

In 2016, a Turkish government official introduced Adams to the general manager of Turkish Airlines, who allegedly provided Adams and companions free and heavily discounted air travel and accommodations over the next several years.

Between 2016 and 2021, Adams accepted travel perks valued at more than $100,000 to places like India, China, Hungary and Ghana, prosecutors say. Adams didn’t report those upgrades and accommodations in his financial disclosures, according to the feds.

Prosecutors allege that Adams on multiple occasions hid the free travel accommodations, going as far as to create fake invoices.

After Adams was elected mayor, the Turkish Airlines manager allegedly told an Adams staffer that the manager expected to be on Adams’ mayoral transition team and hinted that if they weren’t, the travel perks might dry up.

The airline manager was soon named to Adams’ Infrastructure, Climate and Sustainability Committee.

‘A true friend of Turkey’

Prosecutors say the benefits Adams was allegedly receiving were done with an expectation that he would help the Turkish government when the time came.

In September 2021, that time had come.

The Turks had been building a 36-story building across the street from the United Nations headquarters that would house the Turkish Consulate as well as multiple Turkish diplomatic missions. It was called Turkevi Center or Turkish House.

Construction was complete by the end of August 2021 and the plan was to have Turkish House open when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited that September.

But the building had not passed its fire inspection and did not have a certificate of occupancy.

On Sept. 5, 2021, a Turkish official told the Adams staffer that it was "his turn" to support Turkey. Adams responded through the staffer, "I know."

Adams then allegedly leaned on the FDNY commissioner and, over the objections of FDNY inspectors, the FDNY gave the necessary approval that allowed Turkish House to get its certificate of occupancy.

When Adams let the Turkish official know about the FDNY approval, the official said to Adams, "You are a true friend of Turkey."