Mayor Eric Adams surrendered himself to the feds Friday ahead of a scheduled appearance before a Manhattan federal judge — a day after he was hit with a historic indictment alleging a decade-long pattern of corruption.
Hizzoner — who is the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted — was scheduled to make an initial appearance at the Manhattan federal courthouse at noon on charges he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals in exchange for favors.
He is expected to plead not guilty.
A stony-faced Adams gave a thumbs-up but didn’t speak as he emerged from his motorcade and headed into the courthouse just before 9 a.m.
The historic five-count indictment unsealed Thursday accused the under-fire Democrat of taking a slew of improper gifts from Turkish officials and businesspeople — including $123,000 in free hotel stays and free, or deeply discounted, flights.
He also fraudulently obtained $10 million in public campaign funds, federal prosecutors allege.
In exchange, Adams allegedly did favors for his patrons — including pressuring Big Apple officials to waive fire inspections and push through approval for the sprawling Turkish Consulate in Manhattan, according to the indictment.
His surrender came after his lawyer, Alex Spiro, had asked the court to delay his arraignment until at least Monday — mainly to reduce the number of times the mayor would have to travel to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Judge Katharine Parker didn’t immediately respond to the request.
The mayor, who is facing conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery charges over the alleged scheme that allegedly dates back to his time as Brooklyn borough president — a title he held from 2013 to 2021 — has insisted he is innocent.
Adams on Thursday said he has no plans to resign and will fight the charges.
“From here, my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of the city,” he said at a news conference outside Gracie Mansion.
| Year | Destination | Benefits | Value | Disclosed? |
| 2016 | India (via Turkey) | Free upgrade to business class for two on round-trip flight from New York to India | $12,000 | No |
| 2017 | France, Turkey, and China | Free business class tickets for three on round trip from New York to France, Turkey, and China; heavily discounted stay in Bentley Suite of St. Regis Istanbul | $41,000+ | No |
| 2017 | China (via Turkey) | Free business class tickets for two on round trip from New York to China | $16,000+ | No |
| 2018 | Hungary (via Turkey) | Free upgrade to business class for two on round trip from New York to Hungary | $12,000+ | No |
| 2019 | Turkey | Free upgrade to business class for one on flight from New York to Turkey; free stay at Cosmopolitan Suite of St. Regis Istanbul; free meals, transportation, and entertainment in Istanbul | $9,000+ | No |
| 2021 | Turkey (solicited and accepted but then canceled) | Free upgrade to business class for two on round trip from New York to Turkey; free or steeply discounted luxury hotel and resort stays, transportation, entertainment, and meals | $21,000+ | No |
| 2021 | Ghana (via Turkey) | Free upgrade to business class for two on round trip from New York to Ghana; free meal and transportation during Istanbul layover | $12,000+ | No |
“It’s an unfortunate day. And it’s a painful day. But inside all of that is a day when we will finally reveal why, for 10 months, I’ve gone through this. And I look forward to defending myself.”
Hours earlier, Adams had argued the feds were targeting him for speaking out about the Big Apple’s spiraling migrant crisis.
Meanwhile, his lawyer, Alex Spiro, argued it was neither unusual nor improper for a government official to accept some travel perks.
He insisted the travel perks and seat upgrades that Hizzoner accepted were commonly offered to VIPs and members of Congress.
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“That’s what airlines do,” Spiro told reporters, adding that many of the charges relate to trips Adams took years ago when he was the borough president.
Still, even as Adams and his lawyer vowed to fight the case, calls for the mayor’s resignation have been non-stop since news of the grand jury indictment first broke.
Adams is facing up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all five counts.
Additional reporting by David Propper