Former top Adams advisor, donors charged in bribery case; Cuomo mocks with potato chip stunt

A day after a local news outlet exposed an Eric Adams aide for allegedly handing a reporter a wad of cash stuffed inside a bag of potato chips, a handful of folks from Adams’ inner circle, including one of his former top advisers, have been indicted in their own alleged bribery scandal. 

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced four new indictments Thursday, alleging a pay-to-play scheme and other charges against multiple Adams’ associates, including one of his former chief advisers and her son, local business owners and two of Adams’ reported political donors.

Meanwhile, in light of the news, Adams’ opponent in the upcoming race for New York City mayor, Andrew Cuomo, took a jab at Adams Thursday when he handed out bags of chips to reporters at a press conference. 

“Sometimes a bag of chips is just a bag of chips,” Cuomo told those in attendance.

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“Frankly, it is embarrassing for the City of New York,” Cuomo, who is no stranger to scandals, added Thursday.

The fresh corruption-related allegations follow an incident Wednesday, when, according to local New York City paper The City, one of Adams’ aides, who has since been suspended, allegedly attempted to give money to one of its reporters hidden inside a bag of potato chips. The now-suspended Adams adviser, Winnie Greco, later called the move a “mistake,” according to The City.  

The indictments Thursday alleged a former chief adviser to Adams, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who resigned in 2024 amid other accusations related to a different pay-to-play scheme, received $75,000 in bribes between March 2022 and November 2024. 

Among the alleged bribes was a $50,000 cash payment “diverted from a City contract and other benefits” that was directed to her son’s bank account, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Other allegations laid out in the indictments include improper steering of government contracts and policy decisions spurred by monetary incentives.

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“We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in classic bribery conspiracies that had a deep and wide-ranging impact on city government,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “As alleged, Lewis-Martin consistently overrode the expertise of public servants so she could line her own pockets.”

On Thursday, after news of the indictments, an Adams’ spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, contended the mayor “has not been accused of any wrongdoing.”  

“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,” Shapiro added. 

“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.”

Despite Shapiro’s claims that Adams was not involved, the mayor’s opponents in his upcoming race to keep his position have capitalized on the incident.

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“While New Yorkers struggle to afford the most expensive city in America, Eric Adams and his administration are too busy tripping over corruption charges to come to their defense,” the Democratic Party candidate for New York City mayor, self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani, said Thursday. 

“Corruption isn’t just about what a politician gains, it’s about what the public loses. And right now, New Yorkers are paying the price as another flurry of indictments continue to erode their trust in our democracy and distract from the affordability crisis that demands action and urgency.”

Cuomo, who has not been the subject of any major bribery scandals himself, did resign from his position as governor amid numerous sexual assault allegations in 2021. He called the latest incidents involving Adams and his confidants “sad,” “embarrassing” and “depressing.” 

“We were talking about how people feel frustrated with government, and alienated from government and that government isn’t working for them. And, then, there seems to be this never-ending series of government corruption that just continues,” Cuomo said Thursday. 

“And it’s sad. It’s embarrassing. It’s depressing. And then you wonder why people don’t believe in government.”