The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on Thursday charged Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a former adviser to New York Mayor Eric Adams, with bribery and money laundering in connection with a corruption case within the New York City construction department.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged Lewis-Martin, her son Glen Martin II, and two real estate investors, Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi, with participating in a scheme to receive bribes on construction projects in New York, NBC News reported.
Considered the ‘number two’ at City Hall, Lewis-Martin “abused her position and used her influence” within the Department of Buildings (DOB), which is responsible for regulating urban planning licenses, to enrich herself and her family. The prosecutor estimates that she benefited from these bribes by $100,000.
The former adviser, who resigned from her position on Sunday, has denied the facts. Her lawyer, Arthur Aidala, has argued that she is targeted by these accusations with the aim of cooperating in the case involving the mayor of New York.
Adams, who took office in January 2022, is charged with corruption in the framework of a federal investigation against him related to donations he received during the electoral campaign, including from Turkish interests.
The mayor pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, electronic fraud, conspiracy, as well as two charges of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign citizens. The events date back to before Adams, a retired captain of the Police Department, was elected to the mayor’s office in 2021, although they continued after he took office.
