New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday staunchly denied sex assault allegations against him by a former colleague of his in the transit department back in 1993, a day after a legal filing offered the first public details.
"It did not happen. I don't recall ever meeting this person during my time in the department," Adams, a Democrat, said at his weekly media availability.
"This did not happen. It's not who I am," he continued when asked by another reporter. "I know my character and I believe in my life's work, which has shown how I have protected New Yorkers of all types."
The mayor's responses Tuesday echoed comments he made last fall when he told reporters a sexual assault "absolutely did not happen."
According to the suit, the woman was seeking a promotion in the city’s Transit Police Department when she sought help from Adams, then a police officer and high-ranking member of the Guardians Association, a fraternal organization that advocates for Black members of law enforcement.
The lawsuit alleges that he offered to drive her home from work and then drove to a vacant lot, where he offered to help her, but said he “also needed some help.” She said that while sitting in the parked car, Adams demanded oral sex.
After she refused, she said he exposed himself and masturbated, according to the lawsuit. Adams then said he had to get back to work, and dropped her at a Manhattan subway station, according to the suit.
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Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, the city's corporation counsel, described the allegations as “ludicrous,” and said Adams' team expects to be fully vindicated in a court of law.
The case was brought under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that extended the time limit to bring sexual assault lawsuits. The woman first entered her claim this past November, just ahead of the law’s expiration, but did not provide any details about the alleged assault at the time.
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The woman did not file a formal report at the time, but told “numerous people” over the years, including current and former NYPD officials, friends, and her daughters, according to the lawsuit.
A spokesperson for the NYPD, which also was named in the lawsuit, didn't respond to an emailed request from the Associated Press for comment.
The case adds to growing legal trouble for Adams, who is currently facing a federal campaign fundraising investigation that prompted FBI agents to seize his phones and raid the home of his top fundraiser in November.
Earlier this month, FBI agents raided two properties owned by another Adams fundraiser, who also served as one of his top advisors. The mayor has stood by his aide.
