Timeline of NYC Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case and dismissal
New York City Mayor Eric Adams' federal corruption case was formally dropped Wednesday, more than five months after he became the city's first mayor to be indicted on criminal charges.
Judge Dale Ho ruled the case should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the charges against the mayor cannot be re-filed again in the future.
"Today finally marks the end of this chapter," Adams said Wednesday afternoon outside Gracie Mansion, going on to say, "Let me be clear, as I've said all along, this case should have never been brought, and I did nothing wrong."
Adams had been accused of accepted illegal campaign donations and was charged with five counts of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy to solicit a contribution from a foreign national. He pleaded not guilty and repeatedly maintained not only his innocence but his ability to continue to run the city.
The charges were ultimately dropped after the U.S. Department of Justice sent a memo to prosecutors in the Southern District of New York telling them to dismiss the case. The Justice Department memo said, in part, the case was hindering the mayor's ability to help President Trump's administration with its crackdown on immigration, raising concerns there was some kind of quid pro quo for Adams' cooperation. The memo had left the possibility for the charges to be refiled after the 2025 mayoral election.
Adams faces a Thursday deadline to enter the Democratic primary for mayor.
Here is a timeline of his alleged crimes and the investigation swirling around his inner circle.
NYC Mayor Adams indicted on federal corruption charges
According to the indictment, Adams received free airplane tickets and upgrades on several occasions between 2016-2021, when he was Brooklyn borough president.
According to prosecutors, Adams:
- 2016: Received two free upgrades to business class on a roundtrip from New York to India via Turkey, valued at over $12,000
- 2017: Received three free business class tickets on a roundtrip from New York to France, Turkey and China, along with a "heavily discounted" stay in a suite at the luxury St. Regis Istanbul hotel, valued at over $41,000
- 2017: Received two free business class tickets on a roundtrip from New York to China via Turkey, valued at over $16,000
- 2018: Received two free upgrades to business class on a roundtrip from New York to Hungary via Turkey, valued at over $12,000
- 2019: Received a free upgrade to business class on a flight from New York to Turkey, along with a free stay at a suite at the St. Regis Istanbul hotel, free meals, free transportation and free entertainment, valued at over $9,000
- 2021: Received two free upgrades to business class on a roundtrip from New York to Ghana via Turkey, along with a free meal and transportation during a layover in Istanbul, valued at over $12,000
Adams was also accused of soliciting and accepting two free upgrades to business class on a roundtrip from New York to Turkey in 2021, along with free or "steeply discounted" luxury hotel and resort stays, transportation, entertainment and meals, but he later canceled.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams' inner circle under investigation
Nov. 2, 2023 -- Adams abruptly cancels a trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss the asylum seeker crisis with senior White House officials. A spokesperson says the mayor returned to New York City to deal with a matter related to the campaign.
CBS News New York later reports the FBI carried out a raid at the home of one of the mayor's top fundraisers, Brianna Suggs, that morning.
Adams later insists he complied with the rules of the campaign and says he was surprised by the investigation.
Nov. 3, 2023 -- The Adams campaign announces its own investigation into contributions.
Nov. 6, 2023 -- FBI agents seize Adams' iPhones and iPad (This was not known until Nov. 10).
Nov. 8, 2023 -- For nearly an hour, Adams fields questions from reporters about why he suddenly left the White House meeting.
Nov. 13, 2023 -- Adams and City Hall officials ask the FBI to stop leaking information about the investigation.
Nov. 17, 2023 -- Sources tell CBS News New York the FBI searched the homes of Rana Abbasova, who worked in the Mayor's Office for International Affairs, and Cenk Ocal, a former Turkish Airlines executive on Adams' transition team.
Nov. 18, 2023 -- Adams sets up a legal defense fund amid the corruption investigation into his 2021 campaign.
Nov. 28, 2023 -- Adams says Suggs was reassigned and no longer raising money for his reelection campaign.
Dec. 6, 2023 -- A Quinnipiac University poll says Adams' approval rating sunk to a record low.
Feb. 29, 2024 -- The FBI raids the homes of Winnie Greco, Adams' director of Asian affairs and a prolific fundraiser who worked with him for over a decade.
April 5, 2024 -- CBS News New York reports the FBI is investigating expensive upgrades Adams received on flights to Turkey.
May 21, 2024 -- CBS News New York reports Abbasova, Adams liaison to the Turkish community, is cooperating with federal investigators probing the 2021 campaign.
Aug. 15, 2024 -- CBS News New York reports Adams and members of his staff were issued new subpoenas in July.
Sept. 4, 2024 -- Federal agents raid the homes of four top members of the Adams administration, including Police Commissioner Edward Caban, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor Philip Banks, and Timothy Pearson, an advisor to the mayor and former high-ranking NYPD official.
Sept. 12, 2024 -- Caban resigns as New York City police commissioner, saying the raids had "created a distraction."
Sept. 14, 2024 -- Adams' chief counsel Lisa Zornberg resigns.
Sept. 21, 2024 -- Federal agents search multiple homes belonging to Interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon. Donlon says the agents "took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department."
Sept. 23, 2024 -- New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan submits his resignation for personal and family reasons, effective in January 2025.
Sept. 24, 2024 -- Adams addresses reports of the federal investigation expanding to his dealings with six foreign governments, including Turkey.
Sept. 25, 2024 -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins the calls for Adams to resign "for the good of the city." Hours later, CBS News New York reports Adams will be indicted.
Sept. 26, 2024 -- Adams is indicted on federal bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance charges in the Southern District of New York, becoming the first sitting mayor of New York City to be criminally charged.
Sept. 27, 2024 -- Adams is arraigned in Lower Manhattan and pleads not guilty to all charges. Federal agents also subpoena Adams' chief advisor, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, and seize her phone in another incident involving the mayor's inner circle.
Sept. 28, 2024 -- Adams speaks publicly for the first time since his arraignment before a church event in Queens.
Sept. 30, 2024 -- Adams' attorney, Alex Spiro, moves to dismiss the bribery charge. The same day, Pearson announces his resignation.
Oct. 1, 2024 -- Spiro asks the court to sanction federal prosecutors for allegedly leaking details of the case to the media. The mayor also fills two appointments, nominating Muriel Goode-Trufant to serve as corporation counsel and naming Allison Stoddart as his chief counsel.
Oct. 2, 2024 -- Prosecutors say they will likely file a superseding indictment that could include more charges against Adams and additional defendants. Later that evening, Schools Chancellor David Banks says his retirement will be effective Oct. 16, months earlier than he had announced.
Oct. 7, 2024 -- Adams confirms Philip Banks III, the schools chancellor's brother, is stepping down. Later that night, CBS News New York learns three other top officials are leaving: Abbasova, Greco and Mohamed Bahi.
Oct. 8, 2024 -- Another federal indictment drops, charging Bahi with destroying evidence and witness tampering. Hours later, Adams confirms Wright's resignation and names Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer as her replacement.
Oct. 9, 2024 -- Reports say a fifth investigation has been launched into Adams' inner circle, involving the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the city's Department of Investigation. Sources say it involves the leasing of commercial properties and a number of officials, including Lewis-Martin, who has been his confidant for decades.
Oct. 10, 2024 -- Adams is said to be considering Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch or former NYPD First Deputy Police Commissioner Ben Tucker to fill the police commissioner role on a permanent basis.
Also that day, the NYPD School Safety Division's former commanding officer, Kevin Taylor, has his home searched and phones seized, sources say. The New York Times reports investigators are looking into a consulting firm run by Terence Banks and a potential bribery scheme involving city contracts, including one with SaferWatch, a company that sells panic buttons to schools and police across the country.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams' case dropped before reaching trial
Nov 1, 2024 -- A judge sets Adams' corruption trial to start in April 2025.
Nov. 15, 2024 -- President-elect Donald Trump announces he will replace U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, sparking questions about the future of the Adams investigation once he takes office.
Nov. 16, 2024 -- Trump says he might consider pardoning Adams, adding, "I think he was treated pretty unfairly."
Dec. 15, 2024 -- Lewis-Martin announces her retirement from the Adams administration amid reports that Manhattan prosecutors presented new evidence against her to a grand jury. Lewis-Martin later says she is "being falsely accused of something."
Dec. 17, 2024 -- A federal judge refuses to dismiss the bribery charge against Adams.
Dec. 19, 2024 -- Lewis-Martin is indicted for bribery, money laundering and conspiracy by the Manhattan district attorney. She denies doing anything wrong.
Jan. 7, 2025 -- Federal prosecutors say they uncovered "additional criminal conduct," by Adams, but do not disclose the nature of the allegations.
Jan. 10, 2025 -- Court papers reveal a grand jury looking into corruption charges against Adams hears from more witnesses.
Jan 17, 2025 -- Adams meets meets with President-elect Trump at his golf club in Palm Beach, Florida, provoking opponents who suspect the mayor is seeking a pardon. After the meeting, Adams releases a statement saying, "To be clear, we did not discuss my legal case."
Jan. 20, 2025 -- Adams attends Mr. Trump's presidential inauguration after accepting a last-minute invite to Washington, D.C. and later in the week dismisses criticism.
Jan. 29, 2025 -- A source familiar with the discussions confirms to CBS News that senior Justice Department officials discussed the possibility of dropping Adams' corruption charges with Manhattan federal prosecutors.
Jan. 31, 2025 -- DOJ attorneys meet with Adams' defense team and federal prosecutors about dropping the charges, sources say.
Feb. 10, 2025 -- DOJ tells prosecutors to drop the case against Adams.
Feb. 11, 2025 -- Adams addresses the DOJ's order to drop the corruption case and vows to earn New Yorkers' trust back. The mayor's critics worry he is compromised and beholden to the president.
Feb. 12, 2025 -- At a news conference, Adams' attorney Spiro criticizes prosecutors leading the corruption case and argues it was politically motivated.
Feb. 13, 2025 -- Danielle Sassoon, Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, resigns with other DOJ officials in the wake of orders to drop the criminal case against Adams.
Feb. 14, 2025 -- Adams appears on "Fox & Friends" with Mr. Trump's border czar and denies Sassoon's quid pro quo allegations. Later that day, federal prosecutors file a motion to formally drop the corruption charges against him.
Feb. 16, 2025 -- Four of Adams' eight deputy mayors say they are stepping down, citing the recent "extraordinary events" and the need "to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families."
Feb. 18, 2025 -- Hochul meets with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other key leaders to discuss Adams' future as mayor. The governor has power to remove the mayor from office, but it has never been done in New York's 235-year history.
Feb. 19, 2025 -- Adams returns to court, where Judge Dale Ho questions him, his lawyers and the DOJ about the motion to dismiss, but does not make a final ruling.
Feb. 20, 2025 -- Hochul announces three actions aimed at limiting Adams' power and establishing "guardrails" around his administration. In a statement, Adams responds saying, "While there is no legal basis for limiting New Yorkers' power by limiting the authority of my office, I have told the governor, as we have done in the past, that I am willing to work with her to ensure faith in our government is strong."
Feb. 21, 2025 -- Judge Ho appoints outside attorney Paul Clement to argue before the court and orders the case to continue. Meanwhile, Adams tells CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer he's sleeping "like a baby" as he continues to lead the city.
Feb. 26, 2025 -- The mayor's attorney files a motion to dismiss the case "with prejudice," claiming prosecutorial misconduct involving Sassoon's leaked resignation letter. A dismissal with prejudice would prevent the charges from being re-filed in the future.
March 3, 2025 -- Top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Jasmine Crockett of Texas, launch an investigation of the DOJ's move to dismiss the case.
March 5, 2025 -- Adams joins the mayors of Boston, Chicago and Denver testifying about sanctuary city policies before a House Oversight Committee. Many of the questions directed his way are related to the corruption case, and he reiterates there was no quid pro quo for his cooperation.
March 7, 2025 -- Paul Clement, the outside counsel brought in to argue over whether the Adams case should be dismissed, files his brief to the court saying it should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the charges against couldn't be brought again. Clement argued that such a dismissal would prevent the appearance that Adams remains under political pressure.
March 20, 2025 -- Adams taps attorney Randy Mastro to fill the role of first deputy mayor.
April 2, 2025 -- Judge Ho rules the case should be dismissed with prejudice.
