Mayor Eric Adams will embark on his first international trip, traveling to the Dominican Republican this weekend, since his now-dismissed federal indictment came down last September, his office announced on Friday.
City Hall said Hizzoner is traveling to the DR on Sunday to “stand in solidarity with the Dominican community” in the aftermath of a nightclub roof collapse. The incident occurred inside the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo early on Tuesday, killing 221 people and injuring another 150.
“As the mayor of the city with the largest Dominican population outside of the Dominican Republic, Mayor Adams is making the trip to express heartfelt condolences and support to the families who are grieving, including many New Yorkers and their loved ones who have been directly affected by this tragedy,” the mayor’s office’s advisory announcing his jaunt reads.
Adams will be joined by city Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who was born and raised in the Dominican Republic before emigrating to the United States.
The mayor will return to the city on Tuesday, his office said.
When asked who would be paying for the mayor’s travel, his spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus responded: “Like all trips that have a city purpose, this will be paid for by the city.”
The excursion marks the first time Adams, who had previously been known for his jet-setting, is traveling outside of the country since he was hit with federal charges last fall. Although he did travel to Puerto Rico, a US territory, in December to attend an event hosted by crypto billionaire Brock Pierce.
Adams was indicted by former President Biden’s Justice Department over allegations that he solicited and accepted luxury travel perks and illegal foreign campaign donations from Turkish nationals in exchange for official favors.
The travel benefits Adams — while he was still in his previous position as Brooklyn borough president — received included free and heavily discounted flight upgrades and hotel rooms from Turkish Airlines and through Turkish businessmen and government officials. Adams and his attorney insisted that he never broke the law and that the case was “bogus.”
Federal District Judge Dale Ho dropped the case last week after President Trump’s DOJ intervened and asked for it to be tossed. While Ho granted the DOJ’s request, he strongly disagreed with its reasoning for dropping the charges — noting that it “smacks of a bargain” between Adams and federal prosecutors, trading his cooperation with Trump’s immigration enforcement for them scuttling the case.
Adams, his attorney, and DOJ officials fiercely deny that there was any quid pro quo.
