NEW YORK Federal prosecutors announced Monday that a Brooklyn real estate tycoon who is suspected of conspiring with a Turkish government official to transfer illicit campaign funds to New York City Mayor Eric Adams will enter a guilty plea to a conspiracy charge related to the scheme.
A number of people were connected to the sweeping corruption charge against Adams in October, including Erden Arkan, the owner of a real estate construction company. In a public proceeding, he would be the first to enter a guilty plea.
Prosecutors stated in court documents that Arkan intended to enter a guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by gathering campaign funds for Adams under a false identity.
Prosecutors claim that Adams then improperly exploited those monies to secure public support through the city’s matching funds program, which offers a substantial reward for modest contributions.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by Arkan’s attorney. In an emailed response, Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, stated that the ruling will not affect the Mayor’s case in any way.
According to the government’s own interviews, Mr. Arkan stated time and time again that Mayor Adams was unaware of his acts, Spiro said.
Arkan, a prominent figure in the Turkish community in New York, is a co-owner of KSK, a Brooklyn-based construction company that specializes in building upscale condominiums. In November 2023, when investigators investigated his home, the home of Adams’ primary fundraiser, and his contact with the Turkish community, his firm’s ties to Adams were revealed.
Adams was then accused of taking bribes from a Turkish official and other foreigners who wanted to purchase his influence for their own gain in the form of illicit campaign contributions and opulent travel benefits. He has entered a not guilty plea and promised to stay in office while he challenges the accusations.
According to the accusation, Adams directly asked Arkan, who is only identified in court documents as Businessman-5, for unlawful campaign contributions during a luncheon hosted by the Turkish politician in April 2021.
The next month, Arkan held a fundraiser for Adams at KSK’s offices, and 11 of his staff members contributed $1,200 to $1,500 to the cause. Prosecutors claim that because the construction company compensated each, the payments were unlawful straw donations.
Later, Arkan told the FBI that he had discussed the fundraising with the Turkish official. Prosecutors said he first denied paying his workers.
According to the indictment, Arkan seemed to admit his reservations about the fundraising plan as he tried to enlist others to help raise money for Adams. He told potential donors in the Turkish community in New York that while it might seem like a counterintuitive approach, this is the way things operate in this nation.
Adams has promised to fight the case with all of his power and spirit as he prepares for a trial in April.
But his administration has faced overlapping scandals and investigations, leading to the resignations of hispolice commissioner,schools chancellor, multipledeputy mayorsandhis director of Asian affairs. In a another bribery conspiracy case involving real estate authorities last year, his former buildings commissioner was also indicted.
Last week, Adams’ former top advisor and close confidante, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, waschargedby state prosecutors for allegedly accepting bribes from two real estate developers seeking to speed the process of construction approvals. She has pleaded not guilty.
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