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NYC mayor's former top advisor expected to face charges Thursday after abruptly resigning

Mayor Eric Adams' former top advisor expected to face charges
Mayor Eric Adams' former top advisor expected to face charges 00:31

NEW YORK - Ingrid Lewis-Martin, New York City Mayor Eric Adams' former chief advisor, is expected to report to court Thursday to face charges, her attorney said. 

Lewis-Martin abruptly resigned Sunday after prosecutors investigating corruption allegations against her reportedly presented evidence to a grand jury. 

It's the latest departure in the Adams administration, which has been engulfed in criminal investigations. 

On Monday, her attorney said Lewis-Martin expects to be indicted on criminal charges, possibly related to alleged improper gifts. 

Lewis-Martin has denied any wrongdoing. 

"I'm being falsely accused of something. I don't know exactly what it is, but I know that I was told that it's something that's illegal, and I have never done anything illegal in my capacity in government," Lewis-Martin said during a press conference Monday.

Her attorney has said they're cooperating with investigators, and has taken issue with what he called "inappropriate leaks."  

NYC Mayor Investigations
New York Mayor Eric Adams, and chief advisor to the mayor Ingrid Lewis-Martin, attend a press conference at City Hall, in New York, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Peter K. Afriyie / AP

Background of the investigation

She's been with Adams since he was a state senator in Brooklyn, and is the most recent member of his inner circle to leave office. She resigned a month before she had planned to retire. 

Federal agents initially seized her cellphone and searched her home in Brooklyn back in September when she returned home from a trip to Japan. The Manhattan District Attorney's office announced it had opened an investigation into her and four others in October, reportedly having to do with the city's leasing of commercial properties.

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