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By: Hal C Clarke
Mayor Eric Adams’ longtime confidante, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, defended herself Monday, claiming she is being falsely accused amid an anticipated indictment that will likely allege she accepted illegal gifts.
As The New York Post reports, Lewis-Martin, 63, made her defiant remarks during an unusual press conference at her attorney Arthur Aidala’s Midtown office, just one day after abruptly resigning from City Hall.
“I’m here falsely accused of something,” Lewis-Martin said, flanked by her lawyer. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but I was told that it’s something that’s illegal, and I have never done anything illegal in my capacity in government.”
While Lewis-Martin and Aidala were short on specifics, they suggested that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, led by Alvin Bragg, will accuse her of accepting improper gifts. The DA’s office recently convened a grand jury, and an indictment is expected to be unsealed later this week.
Lewis-Martin’s public appearance—wearing a striking green velvet suit—was an unusual and bold move, particularly for someone on the brink of criminal charges. According to The Post, the press conference served as both an airing of grievances and a preemptive counterattack against prosecutors.
Aidala, a high-profile lawyer who has represented Rudy Giuliani and Harvey Weinstein, accused Bragg’s office of pursuing the case to score political points and recover from their recent defeat in the prosecution of Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran acquitted in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely.
“They wanted a press conference. They wanted headlines,” Aidala claimed, as reported by The Post. “We all know that the Manhattan DA’s office took a big black eye last week with the Penny verdict. This is going to distract from that, right before Christmas.”
Aidala also alleged that Lewis-Martin is being unfairly targeted as part of a larger effort to pressure her into turning on Mayor Eric Adams. The mayor himself is dealing with his own challenges, including a federal investigation by the Southern District of New York.
“We all know there’s a long tradition of when the Southern District gets a big case, the Manhattan DA’s office tries to get whatever they can off of it,” Aidala said, referencing the political and legal rivalry between the two entities.
Lewis-Martin’s home was raided by authorities on September 27, and Aidala suggested the investigation relies heavily on emails and text messages, which he fears will be misinterpreted. “Pieces of puzzles are going to be put together to make it look as horrible as possible,” he said. “But we know the truth. And the truth is that Ingrid Lewis-Martin never broke the law.”
Mayor Adams, who has known Lewis-Martin since his days at the police academy in the 1980s, held a press conference of his own later in the day. While he referred to her as a “longtime friend and sister,” Adams refused to comment on her case, repeatedly directing questions to Aidala.
“I’m not going to touch on Ingrid’s next steps,” Adams said, according to The Post. “She has an attorney.”
Reporters attempting to ask further questions about Lewis-Martin were blocked by City Hall press officers, underlining the sensitive nature of the situation.
Aidala emphasized that his client chose not to testify before the grand jury, calling the process biased. He argued that prosecutors rejected a request to meet with Lewis-Martin under terms that would prevent her words from being used against her.
