NYC mayor’s chief adviser hit with federal subpoena, has cell phone seized

The federal investigation surrounding New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) snared another confidant as a chief adviser’s return from abroad found her welcomed back with a subpoena.

(Video: PIX11 News)

During a Friday appearance in court, Hizzoner pleaded not guilty and found fault with the White House for charges brought against him that included alleged federal bribery. The same day, his chief adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin returned from a trip to Japan only to have her cell phone seized and her home searched as she was issued her own federal subpoena.

“She will cooperate fully with any and all investigations and Ms. Lewis is not the target of any case of which we are aware,” expressed the adviser’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, who confirmed that she had been issued a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of New York.

According to the Associated Press, Lewis-Martin was intercepted by investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office at John F. Kennedy International Airport Friday as she was returning from Japan.

PIX11 detailed that the search of her home included the removal of electronic devices.

She later joined her attorney’s radio program where her statement hardly stood in support of Adams’ own plea in court. Speaking on “The Arthur Aidala Power Hour,” the adviser expressed, “But we’re not thieves. And I do believe that in the end that the New York City public will see that we have not done anything illegal to the magnitude or scale that requires the federal government and the DA’s office to investigate us.”

The mayor’s unsealed 57-page indictment found him charged with alleged “conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals” as well as one count of wire fraud, one count of bribery and two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national.

U.S. Attorney Damien Williams had alleged that Adams received roughly $100,000 in perks from the Turkish government while his 2021 mayoral campaign was said to have garnered over $10,000,000 in public founds as a result of alleged false certifications.

The perks were alleged to be a quid pro quo for helping a new Turkish consular building open without passing a fire inspection. Meanwhile, the array of indictments of those in Adams’ circle and New York City government had included federal charges brought against two former FDNY chiefs who led the Bureau of Fire Prevention at which point they were said to have received nearly $200,00 for expediting projects for select individuals and companies.

“They allegedly created a VIP lane for faster service that could only be accessed with bribes,” said Williams.

For his part, Adams asserted lawfare was at play as he pointed a finger at the Biden-Harris administration, accusing the executive branch of weaponizing the federal government for having their handling of the border crisis criticized.

Claiming retaliation, the mayor said, “The federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief. I put the people of New York before party and politics.”