Eric Adams, the first sitting New York City Mayor to face federal charges, accepted bribes from a Turkish official to, among other things, ignore the existence of the Armenian Genocide, according to an indictment.
The indictment, unsealed Thursday morning in the Southern District of New York, lists a litany of misconduct allegations agains Adams, a former NYPD captain, that involved illegal campaign contributions and bribes from foreign nationals, including lavish overseas trips, in exchange for favors that for Turkish government officials. Adams, the indictment says, agreed to ignore Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2022.
After he was sworn into office a Turkish official “repeatedly” demanded Adams ignore the Armenian Genocide and bypass any statements of condolences to its victims in deference to that country’s continued denials of the atrocities that began in 1915 when the Ottoman Empire began a targeted decimation of its civilian Armenian population. The systematic killings continued until 1923 when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Turkey.
According to the indictment, the Turkish officials “messaged the Adams staffer, noting that Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day was approaching and repeatedly asked the Adams staffer for assurances that Adams would not make any statements about the Armenian genocide.” Adams bypassed the day without any mention of the Armenian victims.
Credit: Department of Justice SDNYThe indictment, which charges Adams with five federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations, also alleges Adams promised the Turkish government that he would insure they could bypass a fire inspection for a new diplomatic tower in the city.
At the time, Adams was completing his second term as Brooklyn borough president, and did not have authority to push through the promise connected to Turkey’s new consulate building, Turkevi Center. Still, according to the indictment, Adams instructed the city’s Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro, a veteran FDNY leader, to sign off on the $300 million, 35-story tower project in time for a September 2021 visit to the United Nations General Assembly by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Fire Department approved the project before that visit. In exchange for these favors, and others, Adams pocketed $100,000 in graft and continued to use his powers to help Turkey, federal prosecutors stated.
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“Mayor Adams abused his position as this City’s highest elected official, and before that as Brooklyn Borough President, to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement. “By allegedly taking improper and illegal benefits from foreign nationals—including to allow a Manhattan skyscraper to open without a fire inspection—Adams put the interests of his benefactors, including a foreign official, above those of his constituents.”
Nigro has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but two other FDNY officials in Adams’ cabinet, former chiefs, Brian Cordasco, 49, and Anthony Saccavino, 59, who ran the Department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention, were indicted last week on federal charges that they took tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to speed up building inspections.
A defiant Adams insisted in a video recorded at Gracie Mansion Wednesday, the Mayor’s residence, that the federal investigation was based on “all lies.” Hour’s later Gracie Mansion was the site of a federal raid yesterday as agents executed search warrants as part of the continuing investigation into corrupting in Adams City Hall.
“This is not a black thing!” protestors yelled over a press conference a defiant Adams held Thursday morning while flanked by clergy members and supporters. “This is a justice thing.”
Adams statements were made roughly thirty minutes before the indictment was unsealed, and he made it clear that he will not give up his leadership of the city. “My day to day won’t change,” he insisted as the protestors continued to rail against him. “It’s a painful day…I look forward to defending myself, and defending the people of this city.”
