1:29Ingrid Lewis-Martin attends a press briefing on Dec. 16, 2024, in New York.Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, once the top adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams who now serves as a volunteer on his re-election effort, is slated to return to court Thursday on fresh counts, according to her counsel.
Attorney Arthur Aidala stated that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office chose not to share specifics of the additional allegations.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin appears during a news event on Dec. 16, 2024, in New York.Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
“After decades as an honest public servant, Ingrid must walk into court with scant details. What she does know is that she has served the City honorably and will enter a clear not-guilty plea on every new accusation,” Aidala declared in a release. “Though the particulars are still murky, she is confident she has violated no statutes and is innocent. We intend to seek a fast-track trial.”
Adams, working to reinvigorate a sluggish reelection bid, is not anticipated to face charges, and a representative said the latest indictment of Lewis-Martin bears no relation to him.
“Mayor Adams played no role in these developments and has neither been accused nor implicated in improprieties. His singular focus remains the 8.5 million New Yorkers he swore to serve, advancing safety and affordability daily,” the spokesperson declared. “Ingrid Lewis-Martin is no longer employed by this administration.”
Lewis-Martin had earlier been indicted alongside her son, Glenn Martin II, for allegedly accepting $100,000 in kickbacks from two entrepreneurs in return for political favors. Both deny the allegations.
Three more people linked to Adams are expected to face indictment on Thursday as well, sources indicate: former state senator Jesse Hamilton, now a deputy real-estate-services commissioner, and Brooklyn business owners and Adams donors Gina and Tony Argento.
Counsel for Hamilton and the Argentos could not immediately be reached.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation both had no immediate statement regarding those charges or the new counts against Lewis-Martin.
Mayor Eric Adams attends the New York State Financial Control Board Annual Meeting at the Governor’s office on Aug. 13, 2025, in New York City.Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Real-estate investors Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi also face bribery counts in the case involving Lewis-Martin and her son; they too have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors maintain the pair engaged in a $100,000 payoff plot while Lewis-Martin held office. She stepped down mere days before surrendering in December 2024 on bribery and money-laundering counts.
The indictment claims Vaid and Dwivedi paid Glenn Martin II $100,000 months after Lewis-Martin allegedly arranged official assistance for them, such as facilitating construction-permit problems and a relative’s visa matter. Prosecutors assert the funds were then used by Martin’s son to purchase a Porsche.
This state matter is distinct from the federal corruption indictment filed—and later scrapped—against Adams. Last year, the mayor faced five counts in the Southern District of New York in an alleged long-running conspiracy involving illicit perks, unlawful campaign donations and a cover-up attempt.
The Department of Justice sought dismissal of those charges, prompting several lead prosecutors to resign. A federal judge in April tossed the case with prejudice, ending any chance of refiling it.
The DOJ wanted the indictment tossed to clear Adams to back the mayor’s immigration priorities; it had asked the court to dismiss without prejudice so the charges could later be revived.
Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
