The ‘Lioness’ at the Center of a City Hall Battered by Scandal

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Before Ingrid Lewis-Martin was indicted on bribery charges, she was one of the most powerful people in Mayor Eric Adams’s orbit. Now she may hasten his fall in New York.

By Nicholas Fandos and Dana Rubinstein

It took decades for Ingrid Lewis-Martin to fight her way to the top of New York City politics. But by 2022 she had unquestionably arrived.

As chief adviser to Mayor Eric Adams, she was arguably the second most powerful person in city government. She had an office across the hall from him, a habit of rewriting policy and a reputation as his heavy-handed enforcer.