New York mayor pleads not guilty

A determined Mayor Eric Adams appeared both inside the Manhattan Federal Courthouse and in front of its stately facade Friday to proclaim his innocence on bribery and fraud charges. Amid a turbulent political tug-of-war, he stood firm in his position, undeterred by the looming consequences for his beleaguered administration. “I’m not guilty, your honor,” Adams said during his noon hearing before Judge Katharine Parker on the 26th floor of the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Journalists followed the scene eagerly both in the courtroom and via live streams in several overflow rooms. The indictment against Adams, a 57-page document detailing free or deeply discounted trips abroad and illegal campaign contributions from Turkey in exchange for political favors, has roiled New York’s political landscape. The question of whether or not Adams would resign even appeared to overshadow the upcoming presidential election as the city’s chaotic week came to a close. Adams has shown no signs of considering resigning, and that appears unlikely ahead of his next scheduled court date on Wednesday, when his lawyer plans to attack the prosecution’s argument. “This case isn’t even a real case,” his lawyer, Alex Spiro, told reporters outside the courthouse. “This is the ‘aircraft upgrade corruption case’.” At the same time, federal and state agents confiscated the phone of Adams’ chief adviser and perhaps closest confidant, Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin. She has been a close friend of the mayor for 40 years and was his deputy when he was Brooklyn borough president. Lewis-Martin was intercepted at Kennedy Airport after returning from a vacation in Japan, according to people with knowledge of the matter.