New York City Mayor Eric Adams Faces Sexual Assault Lawsuit – Mayor Eric Adams of New York City faces accusations in a lawsuit alleging sexual assault against a woman in 1993 and solicitation of a sexual favor in exchange for career advancement within the police department.
Filed on Monday in Manhattan, the lawsuit provides the first public account of the sexual assault allegation raised against the mayor in November. Adams, a Democrat, vehemently denies the allegations, stating he has no recollection of meeting the woman and adamantly refuting the occurrence of any sexual assault.
Last fall, he told reporters, “A sexual assault absolutely did not happen.” According to the lawsuit, the woman sought assistance from Adams, then a police officer and prominent member of the Guardians Association, a fraternal organization advocating for Black law enforcement members, in her quest for a promotion within the city’s transit police department.
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As per the lawsuit, it is alleged that he offered to provide her with a ride home from work, but instead drove to an empty lot, where he proposed assistance to her, while also indicating that he required assistance himself. While seated in the stationary vehicle, she claimed Adams insisted on receiving oral sex.
Upon her refusal, the lawsuit alleges that he proceeded to expose himself and masturbate. Subsequently, Adams purportedly stated he needed to return to work and left her at a Manhattan subway station. “Adams preyed on her perceived vulnerability, demanding a quid pro quo sexual favor,” the suit states, “revealing himself not to be the ‘Guardian’ he purported to be, but a predator.”
A spokesperson for Adams provided a statement attributed to the city’s corporation counsel, Sylvia O Hinds-Radix, which described the allegations as “ludicrous”. “While we review the complaint, the mayor fully denies these outrageous allegations and the events described here,” the statement read. “We expect full vindication in court.”
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The lawsuit was initiated under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York statute that prolonged the statute of limitations for filing sexual assault lawsuits. The woman submitted her claim in November, just prior to the law’s expiration, although she did not furnish any specifics regarding the purported assault at that time.
“I don’t recall ever meeting this person and I would never harm anyone in that magnitude,” Adams said last fall. “It did not happen, and that is not who I am and that is not who I’ve ever been in my professional life and, you know, it’s just something that never took place.” At the time, the woman refrained from filing a formal report, but as per the lawsuit, she disclosed the incident to “numerous people” over the years, including current and former NYPD officials, friends, and her daughters.
A spokesperson for the NYPD, one of the named defendants in the lawsuit, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. As a standard practice, The Associated Press refrains from identifying alleged victims of sexual assault in its stories unless they grant consent to be named. Megan Goddard, her attorney, requested that the AP not disclose her name.
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Goddard said her client expects to face significant personal challenges as a result of the lawsuit, but “she believes sexual abusers must be held to account, no matter who they are”. The lawsuit contributes to the mounting legal challenges for Adams, who is presently under scrutiny in a federal investigation concerning campaign fundraising.
This investigation led FBI agents to seize his phones and conduct a raid on the residence of his chief fundraiser in November. Just recently, FBI agents also conducted raids on two properties owned by another fundraiser associated with Adams, who additionally held a prominent advisory role within his campaign team.
