NEW YORK — A former senior aide to Mayor Eric Adams is set to appear in court on Thursday to answer to corruption charges, marking yet another setback for an administration currently rocked by searches, departures, and the mayor’s own legal troubles.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who resigned from her position as the mayor’s chief adviser last Sunday, is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan’s state court on Thursday afternoon, according to two individuals with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity due to the ongoing investigation. The specific allegations against her have not been detailed publicly.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, along with Jocelyn Strauber, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Investigation, have called for a news conference on Thursday afternoon, although the agenda remains undisclosed. Both offices have been actively investigating Lewis-Martin, and a response to inquiries has not been provided by either party.
According to her attorney, Arthur Aidala, Lewis-Martin is anticipated to face charges linked to purported improper gifts. In a statement made Monday, she asserted that she was being “falsely accused” and indicated that she had “not coordinated in advance to receive any gifts or money, nor to have gifts or money provided to family or friends in exchange for performing my job.”
Her pending charges arrive alongside a storm of criminal probes affecting the Adams administration. The mayor himself faces separate criminal allegations, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery linked to a federal probe scheduled for court next April; he has maintained his innocence with a not guilty plea.
Lewis-Martin, 63, has been a crucial ally to Adams throughout his political trajectory, holding pivotal positions as he advanced in New York government over the past nearly two decades. As chief adviser, she held one of the most influential roles within City Hall.
Her involvement in the investigation has been evident since at least September, when prosecutors approached her at a New York airport after she arrived on a flight from Japan, presenting her with a subpoena while law enforcement searched her home and took possession of her cellphones.
Following the home search, Lewis-Martin appeared on a radio program hosted by Aidala, expressing her belief that ultimately the public will recognize that she and her associates have not engaged in any illegal activities warranting such extensive investigations.
Aidala asserted his belief that the charges against Lewis-Martin were a strategic move by Manhattan prosecutors to pressure her into providing testimony against Adams. On the same day, Adams characterized Lewis-Martin as a “longtime friend and sister” during an unrelated news conference.
In September, Adams was accused of accepting luxurious travel perks and illegal campaign support from a Turkish official and other foreign figures seeking to influence him. The inquiry into Adams first came to light late last year when federal investigators conducted a search at the residence of his principal fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, whom Lewis-Martin has identified as her goddaughter.
Since that investigation unfolded, the Adams administration has faced an array of searches and investigations, resulting in the resignation of key personnel, including the police commissioner, schools chancellor, numerous deputy mayors, and the director of Asian affairs.