Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a close former adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, faces serious legal trouble after being formally indicted on multiple bribery charges involving over $75,000 in alleged illegal benefits.
According to The Hill, the indictment, issued Thursday, accuses Lewis-Martin of using her position in city government to provide favors in exchange for money, gifts, and personal perks between 2022 and 2024.
On August 21, 2025, Lewis-Martin was officially charged in Manhattan criminal court on four separate indictments. Prosecutors allege she used her access to city operations to push through building permits, government grants, and other benefits for those who compensated her in return.
The charges stem from activities that reportedly took place between March 2022 and November 2024, covering a wide range of initiatives involving city development, transportation, and housing plans. Lewis-Martin allegedly intervened to benefit specific contractors and individuals who provided financial rewards and other incentives.
Part of the alleged scheme involved transferring $50,000 in cash directly into an account set up under the name of her son, Glenn Martin II. He is also facing related criminal counts, including conspiracy and bribery receiving, tied to the same period of activity.
The list of benefits Lewis-Martin is said to have accepted includes not just money, but also luxury home renovations, catering services for events, and even a performance opportunity on a television program. According to prosecutors, she was promised celebratory parties arranged in her honor as part of the incentives offered.
Also indicted alongside Lewis-Martin are ex–New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton and campaign donors Tony and Gina Argento. Prosecutors suggest their involvement relates to orchestrating or benefiting from the preferential treatment she allegedly offered in return for personal gain.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated during a press briefing that Lewis-Martin “consistently overrode the expertise of public servants,” emphasizing that her actions undermined both public trust and professional oversight throughout city departments. “Every other New Yorker lost out,” he said.
Bragg also noted that legitimate businesses and city employees were hurt in the process, calling it a case where “hardworking City employees were undermined” and “the public was victimized by corruption at the highest levels of government.”
In response to the indictment, Lewis-Martin’s defense attorney argued that the charges are politically motivated and disproportionate to the alleged acts. According to comments published in The New York Times, the defense noted that the charges are classified as the lowest degree of felony available under state law.
Her legal team also dismissed the accusations as targeting a dedicated public servant. “She was fulfilling her duty,” the defense insisted, further calling the criminal case “a troubling example of politically motivated ‘lawfare.’”
Lewis-Martin stepped down from her position as Adams’ chief adviser in December 2024. That resignation came in advance of a previously anticipated corruption case that remains separate from these current charges.
Mayor Eric Adams, who appointed Lewis-Martin as one of his top advisers, is not accused of any wrongdoing in this indictment. Officials have emphasized that the mayor had no involvement or knowledge of the bribery allegations presented against his former aide.
In fact, earlier in 2025, the Department of Justice dismissed a separate federal case it had been pursuing against Mayor Adams. That unrelated decision has no bearing on the state-level charges currently filed against Lewis-Martin.
Despite her departure from office, Lewis-Martin’s proximity to City Hall and long-standing ties to the current administration have drawn significant public attention to the unfolding legal proceedings.
In total, Lewis-Martin faces four counts each of conspiracy in the fourth degree and bribe receipt in the second degree. These charges reflect state-level violations related to misuse of a public position for material gain.
Her son, Glenn Martin II, faces two counts of conspiracy and two counts of bribery receiving. Prosecutors accuse him of handling part of the financial transactions connected to the alleged scheme, including depositing substantial sums into his own financial accounts.
The investigation and indictments suggest a broader inquiry into influence-peddling across city agencies, marking another in a string of ethics-related probes involving New York City politics.
