Comped catering for presidency occasions at Gracie Mansion. A visitor look on an award-winning TV present. Free renovations of her Brooklyn house. And chilly, laborious money.
These are simply among the bribes Manhattan prosecutors allege Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams’ longtime political confidante, pocketed over a years-long interval in trade for doling out authorities favors to her benefactors, like metropolis contracts and expedited constructing permits.
Lewis-Martin’s allegedly assorted style in bribes was on show Thursday in 4 separate, new indictments, which come on high of a separate set of corruption prices she was already hit with in December 2024.
Ingrid Lewis Martin (seated at proper) and Glenn D. Martin (seated at left) are pictured throughout their arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court docket on Aug. 21, 2025. (Curtis Means for DailyMail / Pool)
Listed here are among the most explosive particulars from the 4 new indictments, which additionally charged Lewis-Martin’s grownup son, Glenn Martin II, Adams administration official Jesse Hamilton and 4 enterprise folks with partaking within the wide-ranging bribery schemes. All have pleaded not responsible to the costs.
Karaoke and migrant shelters
The most important bribe Lewis-Martin allegedly solicited got here from Queens businessman Tian Ji Li, who wired her son $50,000 that he then used to assist bankroll the acquisition of a Porsche Panamera.
In trade, Lewis-Martin pressured the FDNY to fast-track a fireplace security allow for a karaoke bar Tian was opening in Queens and likewise helped safe a $12 million metropolis contract for a Tian affiliate to deal with migrants at a resort. “Keep a bottle of champagne cold for your sister,” Lewis-Martin texted Tian, a serious Adams marketing campaign donor, when the permits got here by means of.
In pushing for a renewal of the migrant shelter contract, Lewis-Martin was particularly persistent, telling Hamilton and different officers from Metropolis Corridor and the Division of Social Providers to get Tian what he wished, in response to prosecutors.
“I want you all to go back to the sites for TJ Li…I need those done…whatever site TJ wants, I need him to get them,” Lewis-Martin advised Hamilton in a Might 2024 name intercepted by investigators. “Because that’s our f—ing people.”
When the push for the second migrant shelter contract hit a bump in August 2024, Lewis-Martin doubled down, telling metropolis workers to “move that s— forward unless the mayor tells us otherwise,” in response to prosecutors. The renewal contract was finally by no means awarded after veteran metropolis authorities officers reviewed the positioning, court docket papers say.
‘I’m consuming one among your crab muffins as I converse to you’
It wasn’t simply money Lewis-Martin hungered for, in response to prosecutors.
One of many indictments she was hit with Thursday solely targeted on how Lewis-Martin helped an unidentified catering enterprise proprietor with securing Division of Buildings permits for a residential renovation. In trade, the caterer offered $10,000 price of free meals — together with seafood salad, crab muffins, salmon and shrimp — for quite a few occasions Lewis-Martin helped set up at Metropolis Corridor and Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence on the Higher East Facet.
A type of occasions was a reception for clergy members, hosted at Gracie on April 4, 2024, that was attended by the mayor, who delivered remarks, images posted by his workplace reveals. Because it was a city-sponsored occasion, taxpayer {dollars} may probably have been spent on it, however prosecutors allege Lewis-Martin acquired it at no cost from the caterer.
“You outdid yourself … It was delicious. They had it sent up beautifully. I’m eating one of your crab cakes as I speak to you,” Lewis-Martin advised the caterer over the cellphone in an intercepted name from the April 4 occasion, in response to prosecutors.
Forward of one other occasion at Gracie, the caterer despatched a textual content itemizing a list of the dishes deliberate for the confab, to which prosecutors say Lewis-Martin replied: “Please mark my name on the seafood salad.”
The ‘Godfather of Harlem’ look
Lewis-Martin can be accused of taking some eclectic bribes in trade for serving to the homeowners of Broadway Levels, a TV manufacturing studio, attempt to kill a metropolis Division of Transportation bike lane and road redesign challenge on McGuinness Blvd. in Brooklyn. Three folks died on the road over 10 years, together with a beloved elementary faculty instructor in 2021, and the challenge was designed to extend security for pedestrians and bicyclists.
However Broadway Levels heads Tony and Gina Argento, a pair of politically influential siblings whose firm is headquartered close to the redesign website, strongly opposed the challenge and recruited Lewis-Martin as their voice inside Metropolis Corridor, in response to prosecutors.
Lewis-Martin efficiently sidelined the challenge for months and, in trade, the Argentos despatched Lewis-Martin a $2,500 bribe through Zelle. Lewis-Martin additionally requested Gina Argento to have clothes from Bloomingdale’s delivered to her residence, in response to the indictment.
An particularly uncommon bribe got here within the type of the Argentos getting Lewis-Martin a visitor look on “Godfather of Harlem,” a Hulu present shot at their studios about Bumpy Johnson, the notorious Harlem crime boss. Due to the looks, Lewis-Martin additionally gained membership within the Display Actors Guild union representing actors.
“Thank you. It was everything. I was treated with such lice [sic] and care. It was amazing. One thing off of my bucket list. I will get my SAG [Screen Actors Guild] card. Thank you!” Lewis-Martin texted Tony Argento in September 2022 after her look.
In a Might 2024 cellphone name intercepted by investigators, Lewis Martin advised Tony Argento she moreover “really wanna go on [the television show] Blue Bloods,” one other present shot at Broadway Levels. Argento allegedly promised he’d look into getting her a visitor spot on that present, too, although it’s unclear if she ever did.
In the end, town DOT moved ahead with the McGuinness Blvd. redesign challenge after Lewis-Martin resigned from the administration in December 2024 following her first indictment.
House renovations
Along with Hamilton, Lewis-Martin secured renovations and enhancements of their Brooklyn houses bankrolled by Yechiel Landau, a rich actual property developer.
In trade, in response to the indictment, Lewis-Martin and Hamilton used their metropolis authorities powers to assist Landau get the ball rolling faster on a growth he had in Brooklyn, in addition to the acquisition of a city-owned constructing in Manhattan.
Martin II performed a key function in appearing as an middleman between Landau, his mother and different metropolis authorities officers, in response to prosecutors. In July 2023, Martin II was rising impatient after Landau advised him {that a} Division of Housing Preservation and Improvement official had stated it might be troublesome to “close” on one among Landau’s growth tasks by the tip of the 12 months.
“F— him we make it close,” Martin II shot again in a textual content, in response to prosecutors.
A couple of hours later, Lewis-Martin, who was looped in on the identical textual content menace, replied: “Ok. I agree with Glennie.”
Initially Revealed: August 21, 2025 at 11:35 AM EDT
