Mayor Eric Adams’ longtime consigliere Ingrid Lewis-Martin revealed Monday she expects the looming indictment towards her will allege she took unlawful items — as she defiantly denied wrongdoing.
Lewis-Martin — who abruptly resigned from Metropolis Corridor Sunday over the anticipated felony costs — claimed she was being railroaded by the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace throughout a theatrical press convention at her protection legal professional Arthur Aidala’s Midtown workplace.
“I’m right here falsely accused of one thing,” Lewis-Martin, 63, mentioned. “I don’t know precisely what it’s, however I do know that I used to be instructed that it’s one thing that’s unlawful, and I’ve by no means carried out something unlawful in my capability in authorities.”
Each Lewis-Martin and Aidala have been obscure on the precise accusations they anticipate might be leveled towards her after Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s workplace convened a grand jury final week.
However they hinted the indictment anticipated to be unveiled this week will accuse Lewis-Martin — one of many mayor’s closest confidants who first met him within the Eighties when he was within the police academy — of taking unlawful items.
The information convention — an uncommon and brazen transfer for somebody seemingly about to be indicted — featured a smiling Lewis-Martin, bedecked in a inexperienced velvet swimsuit, showing as a shock visitor and doubled as an airing of grievances and a preemptive jab towards prosecutors’ yet-to-be-revealed case.
Her well-connected lawyer, Aidala, claimed Bragg’s prosecutors have been out to seize headlines after their unsuccessful prosecution of Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran acquitted within the chokehold demise of Jordan Neely on a crowded subway automotive final Might.
“They needed a press convention,” he mentioned. “They needed headlines. And sadly, that’s as a result of politics has actually infiltrated the justice system.
“Everyone knows that the Manhattan DA’s workplace took a giant black eye final week … with the Penny verdict. That is now going to, you already know, to distract it from that proper earlier than Christmas, and possibly, you already know, nullify that.”
Aidala not solely mentioned the case is prone to embody at the least one different individual, but additionally that metropolis prosecutors are concentrating on Lewis-Martin in hopes she’d flip towards Adams — who’s combating a federal indictment from the Southern District of New York.
“Everyone knows that there’s an extended custom of when the Southern District will get a giant case that the Manhattan DA’s workplace tries to get no matter they will off of it,” he mentioned. “This has been occurring for many years and many years and many years.”
The lawyer, who has represented disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and former New York Metropolis Mayor Rudy Giuliani, contended that prosecutors confirmed their bias towards Lewis-Martin by repeatedly refusing requests to take a seat along with her for a gathering the place they might agree to not use her phrases towards her.
However Aidala mentioned Lewis-Martin finally declined to inform her facet of the story to the grand jury at the moment assembly to resolve whether or not to deliver the indictment.
He mentioned he expects texts and emails associated to Lewis-Martin and obtained as a part of the DA’s investigation might be taken out of context to create a “narrative,” fairly than search the reality.
“We’re getting ready for an indictment to come back down, and I’m certain it is going to be written in a manner that sounds damning,” he mentioned. “And once more, items of puzzles are going to be put collectively to make it look as horrible as doable. However we all know the reality. And the reality is that Ingrid Lewis-Martin by no means broke the regulation.”
A spokesperson for Bragg declined to remark.
“As a result of this workplace acts with the utmost integrity, it will be inappropriate for us to reply,” a rep mentioned.
Adams, throughout a shock information convention of his personal Monday, referred to Lewis-Martin as his “longtime good friend and sister,” however refused to remark additional.
A Metropolis Corridor press officer repeatedly blocked reporters from asking Adams questions on Lewis-Martin and her apparently impending indictment. The mayor referred queries about her to Aidala.
“I’m not going to the touch on Ingrid’s subsequent steps,” Adams mentioned. “She has an legal professional.”
— Extra reporting by Hannah Fierick
