Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty to criminal charges on Friday after turning himself into authorities at a federal courthouse in New York.
Flanked by his police detail, Adams offered a thumbs-up sign but refrained from commenting as he made his way into the Manhattan courthouse.
The mayor was due to appear before Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker at noon but arrived early.
The mayor was charged Thursday on five criminal counts, including bribery, wire fraud, and abuse of the city’s campaign matching funds program. He is alleged to have received over $10 million of public funds based on false certifications of small-dollar donors.
Court documents alleged he was also given free hotel stays and discounted airfare to Turkey, China, India, France, and Hungary, among other countries. He is also alleged to have assisted with the approval of a Turkish consulate building’s fire safety without proper inspection by the FDNY.
Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro, argues that receiving travel benefits is not uncommon or even unethical for public officials. Adams denies knowing about any illegal campaign donations and asserts his innocence.
According to Adams’ daily schedule, Friday was business as usual. He had morning and afternoon meetings scheduled with city officials and staff.
“You have now heard the news about today’s indictment. Let me be clear, I know I’ve done nothing wrong, and I am committed to continuing to fight on behalf of New Yorkers as your mayor,” said Adams, in an X post Thursday. “From here, my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of this city.”
Adams has publicly suggested that the federal probe targeting him is likely retaliatory due to his outspoken critiques of the Biden administration’s immigration policy.
“Despite our pleas, the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter systems with no relief. I put the people of New York before party and politics,” the mayor said on Wednesday after news broke that his looming indictment would be unsealed the next day.
In a widely circulated video on social media from a Sept. 2023 town hall meeting, Adams said, “This issue will destroy New York City. We’re getting 10,000 migrants a month. Now we’re getting people from all over the globe who’ve made their minds up that they’re gonna come through the southern part of the border and come into New York City. Everyone is saying it’s New York City’s problem. Every community in this city is going to be impacted.”
The video has received 14 million views.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.