NEW YORK– A Brooklyn real estate mogul accused of working with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal campaign contributions to New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge related to the scheme, they said federal prosecutors Monday.
Erden Arkan, the owner of a real estate construction company, was one of several people involved in the extensive corruption indictment filed against Adams in October. He would be the first to plead guilty in public proceedings.
In court papers, prosecutors said Arkan planned to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by collecting campaign contributions for Adams that were made under the name of someone other than the actual contributor.
Adams then used those funds to fraudulently obtain public funding under the city’s matching fund program, which provides a generous match for small-dollar donations, prosecutors allege.
An attorney for Arkan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney for Adams, Alex Spiro, said in an emailed statement that the decision “would not have any impact on the mayor’s case.”
“We know from the administration’s own interviews that Mr. Arkan has repeatedly said that Mayor Adams had no knowledge of his actions,” Spiro said.
Arkan, a well-known member of New York’s Turkish community, is co-owner of KSK, a Brooklyn-based construction company specializing in luxury apartments. His company’s ties to Adams came to light in November 2023, when investigators searched his residence, along with the home of Adams’ chief fundraiser and his liaison to the Turkish community.
Adams was subsequently accused of taking bribes in the form of luxury travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreigners who hoped to buy his influence on their behalf. He has pleaded not guilty and vowed to remain in office while he fights the charges.
The indictment details an April 2021 dinner hosted by the Turkish official at which Adams personally solicited illegal campaign contributions from Arkan — identified in the lawsuits only as “Businessman-5.”
The following month, Arkan hosted a fundraiser at KSK headquarters for Adams, with 11 of his employees donating between $1,200 and $1,500 to the campaign. All were reimbursed by the construction company, prosecutors allege, making the contributions illegal straw donations.
Arkan later confirmed to the FBI that he had spoken to the Turkish official about the fundraiser. He initially denied paying back his employees, prosecutors said.
While trying to recruit others to raise money for Adams, Arkan seemed to acknowledge his misgivings about the fundraising program, telling potential donors in New York’s Turkish community that it “may feel like swimming against the tide, but unfortunately this is how things work in this country. “, the complaint said.
As Adams prepares for a trial in April, he has vowed to fight the case “with all my strength and spirit.”
But his administration has faced overlapping scandals and investigations, leading to the resignations of his police commissioner, schools chancellor, multiple deputy mayors and his director of Asian affairs. His former buildings commissioner was also indicted last year in a separate bribery conspiracy case involving real estate officials.
Last week, Adams’ former top adviser and close confidante, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was charged by prosecutors for allegedly taking bribes from two real estate developers who tried to speed up the process of construction approvals. She has pleaded not guilty.
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