Mayor Eric Adams’ longtime consigliere Ingrid Lewis-Martin revealed Monday she expects the looming indictment in opposition to her will allege she took unlawful items — as she defiantly denied wrongdoing.
Lewis-Martin — who abruptly resigned from Metropolis Corridor Sunday over the anticipated prison expenses — claimed she was being railroaded by the Manhattan District Lawyer’s Workplace throughout a theatrical press convention at her protection lawyer Arthur Aidala’s Midtown workplace.
“I’m right here falsely accused of one thing,” Lewis-Martin, 63, stated. “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 completed something unlawful in my capability in authorities.”
Each Lewis-Martin and Aidala had been obscure on the precise accusations they anticipate can be leveled in opposition to 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 Nineteen 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 go well with, showing as a shock visitor and doubled as an airing of grievances and a preemptive jab in opposition to prosecutors’ yet-to-be-revealed case.
Her well-connected lawyer, Aidala, claimed Bragg’s prosecutors had 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 Could.
“They needed a press convention,” he stated. “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, , to distract it from that proper earlier than Christmas, and perhaps, , nullify that.”
Aidala not solely stated the case is more likely to embrace not less than one different particular person, but additionally that metropolis prosecutors are concentrating on Lewis-Martin in hopes she’d flip in opposition to Adams — who’s preventing 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’ll off of it,” he stated. “This has been happening for many years and a long time and a long time.”
The lawyer, who has represented disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and former New York Metropolis Mayor Rudy Giuliani, contended that prosecutors confirmed their bias in opposition to Lewis-Martin by repeatedly refusing requests to sit down along with her for a gathering the place they’d agree to not use her phrases in opposition to her.
However Aidala stated Lewis-Martin in the end declined to inform her facet of the story to the grand jury presently assembly to determine whether or not to deliver the indictment.
He stated he expects texts and emails associated to Lewis-Martin and obtained as a part of the DA’s investigation can be taken out of context to create a “narrative,” reasonably than search the reality.
“We’re getting ready for an indictment to come back down, and I’m positive it is going to be written in a method that sounds damning,” he stated. “And once more, items of puzzles are going to be put collectively to make it look as horrible as attainable. 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 might be inappropriate for us to reply,” a rep stated.
Adams, throughout a shock information convention of his personal Monday, referred to Lewis-Martin as his “longtime pal 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 stated. “She has an lawyer.”
— Extra reporting by Hannah Fierick
Supply hyperlink
