(NEW YORK) -- Ingrid Lewis-Martin accepted more than $75,000 in bribes while serving as chief adviser to New York Mayor Eric Adams, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged Thursday in four separate conspiracy indictments that also named eight others, including some of the mayor's associates.
Lewis-Martin, who was previously charged with accepting more than $100,000 in bribes, is now alleged to have conspired to steer city contracts for shelters to house asylum-seekers to preferred property owners in exchange for a $50,000 cash payment allegedly accepted by her son, Glenn Martin II, who is also charged.
In a different indictment, Lewis-Martin is alleged to have taken $2,500 from two Brooklyn business owners, Gina and Tony Argento, in exchange for convincing city transportation officials to abandon a plan to redesign McGuinness Boulevard.
Lewis-Martin and the city's deputy commissioner for real estate services, Jesse Hamilton, are alleged in the third indictment to have conspired to fast-track development projects in exchange for renovations on their homes.
In the fourth indictment, Lewis-Martin allegedly conspired to obtain approval for a residential renovation project in exchange for thousands of dollars of catering for events at Gracie Mansion and City Hall.
"We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in classic bribery conspiracies that had a deep and wide-ranging impact on City government," Bragg said in a statement announcing the indictments. "As alleged, Lewis-Martin consistently overrode the expertise of public servants so she could line her own pockets."
Lewis-Martin, who previously pleaded not guilty, is now charged with conspiracy and bribery charges.
"New York City officials and employees have a duty to serve the public fairly and equitably and the vast majority fulfill that sacred responsibility each and every day. Today's Indictments, however, allege that the Mayor's former Chief Advisor, at times in concert with the Deputy Commissioner for Real Estate Services in the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, repeatedly and persistently abused her senior government position to enrich herself and her family," Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber said in a statement.
Lewis-Martin and her son both pleaded not guilty to the latest charges on Thursday. During the arraignment, the prosecutor told the judge that "if you were willing to pay, Ms. Martin was open for business," and as alleged in the criminal complaints, she accepted both cash and seafood.
Her lawyer, Arthur Aidala, called the new charges "politically motivated" and a "distortion of the truth."
He maintained in a statement on Wednesday ahead of the release of the indictments that Lewis-Martin "has broken no laws, and she is not guilty."
"Despite a lifetime of service as a law-abiding public servant, Ingrid is being forced to enter court with little information," he said in the statement. "What she does know is this: she has always served the City with integrity, and she will firmly plead not guilty to every charge."
Adams, who is now running for reelection as an independent instead of a Democrat, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, a spokesperson for his campaign said.
"While Ingrid Lewis-Martin no longer works for this administration, she has been a friend and colleague of the mayor for over 40 years, and he knows her as a devoted public servant; she has declared her innocence, and his prayers are with her and her family," the spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, said in a statement. "Mayor Adams also recognizes that Jesse Hamilton has pleaded not guilty, and like anyone accused, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. His commitment to New Yorkers is unwavering -- no distraction will ever take his eyes off the ball or his dedication to this great city we all call home.”
Lewis-Martin resigned from her position days before surrendering on bribery and money laundering charges in December 2024.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office probe is separate from federal corruption charges that were brought and then subsequently dropped against Adams. The mayor was indicted last year in the Southern District of New York on five counts in an alleged long-standing conspiracy connected to improper benefits, illegal campaign contributions and an attempted cover-up.
The Department of Justice moved to dismiss the charges, prompting the resignation of several top prosecutors. In April, a federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be revived.
The Justice Department sought to have the case dismissed to free up Adams to cooperate with the mayor's immigration agenda, though it wanted the case dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be brought again.
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