A lawsuit filed on Monday accuses New York City Mayor Eric Adams of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993, a charge the mayor denies.
The woman claims that Mr. Adams demanded sexual favors from her in exchange for helping her advance her career with the New York City Transit Police Department, according to the complaint filed in the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan.
A spokesperson for the mayor called the accusations “outrageous.”
“While we review the complaint, the mayor fully denies these outrageous allegations and the events described here; we expect full vindication in court,” New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. “Additionally, in 1993, Eric Adams was one of the most prominent public opponents of the racism within the NYPD, which is why the suit’s allegations that he had any sway over promotions of civilian employees is ludicrous.”
The Democrat mayor has vehemently denied the allegations made by the woman against him. She originally filed a complaint against him in November under the state’s Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that allowed a one-year window to pursue civil lawsuits for certain sexual offenses.
The original claim did not provide details about the alleged assault.
Details of Alleged Incident
At the time, the woman was seeking a promotion in the city’s Transit Police Department and turned to Mr. Adams, a high-ranking member of the Guardians Association, for help, the lawsuit claims. The Guardians Association is a fraternal organization that advocates for black members of law enforcement.The lawsuit says Mr. Adams offered to drive the woman home but instead drove to a vacant lot where he offered to help her in her career, but then said he “also needed some help.” She said he demanded she perform a sexual act while they were parked.
After she refused, she said he exposed himself, forced her to touch him, and then continued touching himself. Next, Mr. Adams said he had to go back to work and dropped her off at a subway station, according to the court documents.
“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.”
The woman did not file a report about the alleged incident at the time but told “numerous people” over the years, including “current and former NYPD and Defendant Transit Bureau employees,” according to the complaint.
Lawyer Megan Goddard, who is representing the woman, asked that her client not be identified due to the nature of the case.
She said that the woman expects to encounter 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 allegation adds to the growing legal trouble Mr. Adams is facing.
In November, a federal campaign fundraising investigation prompted the FBI to seize his cellphones and raid the home of his top fundraiser.
Earlier this month, the FBI raided two more properties owned by another fundraiser for Mr. Adams. The person also served as one of the mayor’s top advisers.
