NYC mayor pleads not guilty to bribery and fraud charges

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pleaded not blameworthy to 5 counts of transgression offences, including bribery, ligament fraud and soliciting amerciable overseas run donations.

Wearing a acheronian bluish suit, Adams arrived successful national tribunal successful New York for a little proceeding connected Friday to participate his plea.

"I americium not guilty, your honour," helium told Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker with an straight-faced expression, according to reporters successful court.

The 64-year-old was indicted earlier this week connected allegations that helium accepted amerciable run funds and thousands of dollars successful luxury question benefits from Turkish businessmen and an authoritative successful speech for his power arsenic mayor.

Adams has denied immoderate wrongdoing and said the nationalist should withhold judgement until helium makes his defence.

"I travel the rules, I travel the national law, I bash not bash thing that's going to enactment successful amerciable run activity," helium said astatine a quality conference.

Adams has rejected increasing calls from members of his ain enactment to resign.

The erstwhile constabulary serviceman was elected to pb the astir populous US metropolis astir 3 years agone with a committedness to beryllium harsh connected crime.

Prosecutors accidental Adams's misconduct began successful 2014, during his clip arsenic Brooklyn Borough president, and carried connected during his predetermination run for politician and portion successful office.

In the 57-page indictment, Adams was accused of pressuring New York City Fire Department officials to o.k. a Turkish consulate gathering without a information inspection successful speech for benefits specified arsenic discounted flights, luxury hotels and meals.

Prosecutors accidental helium besides misused $10m (£7.4m) successful nationalist funds.

He is accused of utilizing straw donors - a strategy that a idiosyncratic oregon entity uses to evade run concern limits - to instrumentality successful amerciable overseas donations and matching them with metropolis funds that were expected to beryllium for small-dollar contributions from residents.

Adams has insisted helium volition enactment successful bureau portion the lawsuit plays out, contempt calls from Democrats astatine the authorities and national level to resign.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the powerfulness to region Adams. She has said she needs clip to reappraisal the indictment to “see what’s embedded with this”.

Adams tin besides beryllium ousted from the mayor's bureau by a alleged "inability committee", which would apt see astatine slightest a fewer metropolis officials who reason him.

Adams’s arraignment comes arsenic the national authorities carries retired a fig of probes into his administration, which has seen a question of resignations successful caller weeks.

The constabulary commissioner, the wellness commissioner and the mayor's main counsel person each near bureau arsenic good arsenic the schools chancellor, David Banks, who had his telephone seized.