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La Jornada Newspaper
Saturday, September 28, 2024, p. 19
New York., The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, declared yesterday not guilty as charged of fraud and bribery, in his first appearance in court in lower Manhattan for a case that shocked the city.
I am not guilty, your honor.the 64-year-old Democrat told the court. Adams is prosecuted for receiving for years giftsmostly coming from Türkiye, without having declared them, as is mandatory, according to Manhattan federal prosecutor Damian Williams.
The indictment charges such acts as wire fraud, illegally soliciting contributions for an election campaign from a foreign person, and accepting bribes paid by a Turkish official.
In return, Adams, who became mayor of New York in 2021 after winning the Democratic primary, allegedly used his influence to accelerate the opening of a skyscraper that will house Turkey’s mission to the United Nations and its consulate general. The crime of corruption carries prison sentences of between 5 and 15 years, according to the United States criminal responsibility code.
