No Matching Funds for Adams; Another Deputy Mayor Resigns
The Campaign Finance Board denied $4.3 million in matching funds to Eric Adams campaign, citing the five count bribery corruption indictment field by the federal Southern District of New York. And another deputy mayor resigned over the weekend and Trump said he’s consider a pardon of Adams.
| 16 Dec 2024 | 01:48
Deputy Mayor Ingrid Lewis Martin (third from left) is the latest top aid to resign from the administration of Eric Adams (second from left), seen here at a press conference in September shortly before Adams was hit by the feds with a five count bribery corruption. The campaign finance board denied matching funds to Adams on Dec. 16, citing the ongoing probe. (
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Mayor Eric Adams (left) was denied $4.3 million in matching public election funds on Dec. 16. It came a day after one of his closest confidants, deputy mayor Ingrid Lewis-Martin, resigned suddenly. (
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“We are imperfect, but we’re not thieves,” Ingrid Lewis-Martin, at the time a deputy mayor to Eric Adams. She resigned her post on Dec. 15.
“Mayor Adams’ campaign for reelection has failed to demonstrate eligibility for public funds payment at this time.” Frederick P. Schaffer, chairman NYC Campaign Finance Board
It is not going to be a Merry Christmas for embattled Mayor Eric Adams, although on December 16 President-elect Donald Trump did hold out a sugar plumb in the form of a possible pardon.
The campaign finance board on Dec. 16 denied $4.3 million in matching public funds for Adams’ reelection campaign, citing an ongoing federal bribery and corruption probe.
It came only one day after deputy mayor Ingrid-Lewis Martin, one of his longest serving aids and confidants, resigned suddenly on Dec. 15.
The campaign finance board cited the ongoing federal probe that resutled in a five count indictment against Adams in late September, which claimed in part that Adams used straw donors to funnel illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals into his 2021 election effort and into his ongong 2025 reelction bid.
He’s pleaded not guilty and vowed to fight the charges while seeking reelection. His trail is slated for April.
“After thoroughly reviewing all available information including the details of the indictment of Mayor Adams, the board has determined that there is reason to believe the Adams campaign has engaged in conduct detrimental to the matching-funds program in violation of law,” said the board’s chairman Frederick P. Schaffer. He continued: “His campaign also failed to provide documents and information requested by the board. Accordingly, Mayor Adams’ campaign for reelection has failed to demonstrate eligibility for public funds payment at this time.”
There have been a parade of top Adams aids heading to the exits after their homes were raided as part of ongoing probes by both federal investigators and the Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan DA’s office seized Lewis-Martin’s phone as she returned form an overseas trip in September at the same time DA police were raiding her home in Brooklyn.
Day later, she went on a radio show run by her high powered attorney Arthur Aidala to proclaim: “We are imperfect, but we’re not thieves. 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.”
None of the other top aids has been charged. But The New York Times reported reported that Bragg’s office has since presented evidence about Lewis-Martin to a grand jury. At presstime speculation was swirling that she could face an indictment very soon.
In a statement released following her sudden resignation, Lewis-Martin said: “I thank God, first and foremost, for allowing me to serve the city that I love for close to 35 years through volunteerism and employment,” saying it was a “a bittersweet moment” to leave her role.
She said she planned to spend more time with her family but said she would continue “to do everything in my power to fight for this great city every day as a private citizen.”
But on Dec. 16, President-elect Donald Trump said at an event at Mar-A-Lago that he would consider “certainly look at” pardoning Adams. “I think he was treated pretty unfairly,” said Trump, who was facing four separate federal indictments before his election rendered the cases moot.