BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Turkish officials tried to give now-Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso a trip and gifts, he told PIX11 on Monday in the wake of Mayor Eric Adams’ bribery indictment.
Adams is accused of accepting bribes, some from Turkish officials, in the form of lavish trips and illegal campaign donations starting when he became Brooklyn borough president in 2014, according to federal prosecutors. Adams has been charged with bribery, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and wire fraud.
On Monday, Reynoso told PIX11 News that Turkish officials tried a similar ploy with him, but he did not accept.
Representatives of Turkey tried to “take care of” a trip for Reynoso, who was elected borough president in 2021 after serving as a City Council member, he said. The Turkish consulate also sent him eight gold-plated, porcelain tea sets that his general counsel returned, Reynoso said.
“Those are just things that a consulate should know they shouldn’t be doing with elected officials here in New York,” Reynoso said. “At that point, we didn’t know there was any of this stuff happening.”
At the time, Reynoso thought it could have been an oversight. Now, he thinks they were trying to curry favor.
“Looking back I definitely thought it was an intro into building a good relationship with me through gifts and so forth,” Reynoso said. "It seems like the mayor's office gave them an opportunity in the past, and they tried to take that with me as well. It's just we didn't get hooked."
Reynoso, like many other elected officials, has called on Adams to resign. On Monday, he reiterated he does not intend to run for mayor.
Adams has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight the charges. He has said he will not resign.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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