Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Mayor Eric Adams‘ longtime confidante and former chief adviser, will appear in Manhattan state court on Thursday to face new charges, her attorney confirmed to amNewYork.
Arthur Aidala, Lewis-Martin’s lawyer, told amNewYork that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office “refused to provide any details” of the forthcoming charges. Bragg’s office declined to comment on the charges for this story.
While the nature of the charges are not yet known, Aidala insists that Lewis-Martin is innocent of whatever they may be, and will be seeking an expedited trial to move the justice process forward.
“Despite a lifetime of service as a law-abiding public servant, Ingrid is being forced to enter court with little information,” Aidala said. “What she does know is this: she has always served the City with integrity, and she will firmly plead not guilty to every charge. While the specifics remain unclear, Ingrid is certain of one thing—she has broken no laws, and she is not guilty. We will be requesting an expedited trial schedule.”
Aidala’s statement followed a New York Post report that Lewis-Martin is facing new corruption charges for accepting high-end meals in exchange for official favors surrounding redevelopment plans during her time in City Hall. The new charges are reportedly not connected to Lewis-Martin’s already existing bribery and conspiracy indictment that was filed late last year.
The incoming bombshell indictment is also expected to include Adams’ Deputy Commissioner of Real Estate Services, Jesse Hamilton; Lewis-Martin’s son, Glenn Martin II; as well as Gina and Tony Argento — siblings who own the soundstage company Broadway Stages, The New York Times reported.
“I have not seen the indictment, and I did ask the District Attorney to reveal the charges to me, but they weren’t willing to,” Hamilton’s lawyer Mark Pullard told amNewYork. “I suspect it’s some kind of bribery charge. I highly doubt that it will be something of substance. My client maintains that he did no criminal act.”
The charges related to the Argento siblings at least in part involve their efforts to kill a street safety-oriented redesign of Brooklyn’s McGuinness Boulevard, The Times reported. The project was aimed at making the heavilly trafficked road safer by replacing some vehicle space with pedestrian and bicycle lanes, following high-profile traffic deaths.
The Argentos appeared to be successful in their “Keep McGuinness Moving” campaign to scuttle the redesign in July 2023, with Lewis-Martin reportedly pushing Mayor Adams to scrap the plan and call for an alternative. But soon roughly a year later Adams’ administration reverted back to a plan far closer to the original.
“I haven’t seen the indictment, based on my information this is about exercising first amendment rights in opposition to a bike lane,” said Gina Argento’s lawyer John Ciafone.
The first indictment against Lewis-Martin accused her of allegedly accepting $100,000 in bribes from a pair of Manhattan businessmen in order to buy a Porsche for her son, and in exchange, ensuring that the Department of Buildings allegedly provided the businessmen. Lewis-Martin has continued to insist that she has done nothing wrong.
The charges came soon after Lewis-Martin abruptly stepped down from her City Hall position — and months after authorities seized her phones and raided her Brooklyn home.
Lewis-Martin was one of several senior-level Adams staffers to exit the administration last year amid federal and state corruption investigations into their official dealings.
The latest charges against Lewis-Martin come as Mayor Adams is mounting a steep uphill reelection battle, in which he has tried to distance himself from the corruption scandals that have dogged his administration — including his own now-dismissed federal case.
Adams’ press secretary Kayla Mamelak Altus said the mayor “was not involved in this matter and has not been accused of or implicated in any wrongdoing.” She also noted that “Ingrid Lewis-Martin no longer works for this administration.”
Mamelak Altus did not comment on the possibility of Hamilton being charged.
But Adams campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro said the mayor continues to stand by her and believes she deserves her day in court.
“We have not been notified about any formal charges against Ingrid Lewis-Martin,” Shapiro said. “Mayor Adams stands by her decades of public service and remains confident that the truth will prevail. Ingrid has dedicated her life to the people of New York City, and she deserves the presumption of innocence and the support of those who know her best.”
