Former chief advisor to Mayor Adams, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, surrenders to face bribery charges
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Mayor Eric Adams' recently departed chief advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin surrendered to face charges in Lower Manhattan on Thursday morning.
Lewis-Martin and her son, Glenn Martin II, reported to court at 100 Centre Street. Two other men are also facing charges.
Allegedly, the two men had loaned Glenn Martin $100,000 last year to buy a Porsche. This all happened after Ingrid Lewis-Martin helped them resolve a Buildings Department issue with a construction project in one of their hotels.
The loan was memorialized in a promissory note. It is unclear if the loan has been paid back.
The case against Lewis-Martin stems from an ongoing investigation. It does not involve Mayor Adams, who is facing his own legal problems.
On Monday, Lewis-Martin's attorney Arthur Aidala, told reporters he expected his client to be indicted on criminal charges related to the alleged improper gifts, saying "we are pretty certain that one day this week we are going to be appearing in court at 100 Centre Street."
He said that she had been invited to speak with the grand jury considering charges but declined at the time because the outcome of the investigation appeared to be predetermined.
"Pieces of puzzles are going to be put together to make it look as horrible as possible," Aidala said as he sat alongside Lewis-Martin at his Manhattan office. "But we know the truth, and the truth is Ingrid Lewis-Martin never broke the law."
Lewis-Martin also delivered an impassioned defense of her career in public service at her attorney's Midtown office on Monday.
"I am being falsely accused of something. I don't know exactly what it is, but I know that I was told that it is something that is illegal, and I have never done anything that is illegal in my capacity in government," she said. "And during my tenure, I have never taken any gifts, money, anything. I have not made any arrangements in advance to take any gifts or money, or to have any gifts or money given to a family member or friend in order for me to do my job."
Lewis-Martin announced her resignation from her post on Sunday.
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