NYC Mayor Eric Adams speaks at Queens church just day after pleading not guilty to federal charges
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is accused of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources
QUEENS (WABC) -- A day after pleading not guilty to federal charges, New York City Mayor Eric Adams spent a portion of his Saturday visiting a church in Queens.
The mayor delivered remarks at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York as the church celebrated the installation service of a new reverend.
"Now we reach a significant moment, a new marquee player has now taken the court in our spiritual journey," Adams said. "All of the blessing and success of his two famous predecessors."
Adams on Friday became the first sitting mayor of New York City to set foot in a courtroom as a criminal defendant. At his arraignment, he entered a not guilty plea to bribery, wire fraud and accepting improper campaign contributions.
"I am not guilty, your honor," Adams told Judge Katharine Parker.
He then waived a public reading of the 57-page indictment, telling Judge Parker he has already read it.
An indictment unsealed Thursday accused the Democrat of taking a variety of improper gifts from Turkish officials and businesspeople, including free hotel stays and deeply discounted airline tickets to destinations including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, Ghana and Turkey.
Adams is specifically charged with bribery, solicitation of illegal foreign campaign contributions, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud -- charges that expose the mayor to significant prison time if convicted.
Prosecutors allege that Adams received free and steeply discounted flight upgrades valued at more than $100,000, as well as campaign contributions from straw donors, some of which helped him qualify for more than $10 million in matching public campaign funds.
"Mayor Adams took these contributions knowing they were illegal and aimed at buying influence," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated. According to the indictment, the mayor received first-class flights and stays in opulent hotels while failing to disclose the gifts, as required by law. "Year after year, he kept the public in the dark, claiming he received no gifts," Williams added.
RELATED | What is Mayor Eric Adams charged with? Read the indictment
The mayor is also accused of intervening in New York City Fire Department procedures to benefit foreign interests. In one instance, Adams allegedly pressured fire inspectors to approve the opening of a Turkish consulate building despite safety concerns, all in exchange for personal favors.
Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to U.S. elections, a safeguard to protect the democratic process. Williams detailed how Adams, aware of these restrictions, "directed his staff to pursue this illegal money," not only during his 2021 mayoral campaign but even after taking office, allegedly rekindling the same relationships to fund his reelection bid.
The alleged conduct predates Adams' time as mayor and dates to his time as Brooklyn Borough President. The indictment includes photos of fancy hotel rooms and other benefits the mayor allegedly took.
Parishioners at Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral Church of New York, however, say they support the mayor despite the accusations.
"I wish him very well and I hope he stays in office. Let him be proven guilty," parishioner Juan Mighty said.
Although calls for his resignation continue to grow, Adams has remained defiant, saying his day to day work will not change. If he were to resign, he would be replaced by the city's public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who would then schedule a special election.
"We have to push the mayor to answer the questions, if he believes he could be that steady hand with the weight of everything that's going on, and really only he could answer that," Williams said in an interview with CNN. "We need him to not only answer, but to present the plan as quickly as possible, and I think the window to do that is rapidly closing."
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove the mayor, said she "carefully reviewed" the indictment on Thursday, in what she called "an extraordinarily difficult day for New York City."
While she did not call on Adams to resign, she said, "It's now up to Mayor Adams to show the City that he is able to lead."
She added that while she reviews her options and obligations as governor, she said she expects the mayor to take the next few days to review the situation and "find an appropriate path forward to ensure the people of New York City are being well-served by their leaders."
"We must give New Yorkers confidence that there is steady, responsible leadership at every level of government," she said.
ALSO READ: Debate emerges over whether Eric Adams should resign as mayor of New York City
Meanwhile, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief adviser to the mayor, had her phone seized on Friday upon her return to the U.S. from a vacation in Japan, her attorney said.
Investigators also searched her Brooklyn home, sources told ABC News.
"We're not thieves, but I'm not angry with them. I respect and understand that they have to do their job, and they were perfectly gentlemanly with me today when I handed over my devices," Lewis-Martin said on a radio program.
Multiple agencies are interested in Lewis-Martin, including the Manhattan District Attorney's office and the Southern District of New York, the same prosecutor's office that charged the mayor with bribery, solicitation, and fraud.
Spokespeople for both offices declined to comment.
Her attorney, Arthur Aidala, issued the below statement:
"Ingrid Lewis Martin has been served with a subpoena from the Southern District of New York and her phones were given to the New York County District Attorney's Office. She will cooperate fully with any and all investigations and Ms. Lewis is not the target of any case of which we are aware."
ABC News and the Associated Press have contributed to this report.
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