Luigi Mangione, suspect within the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arrives at a heliport with members of the NYPD on December 19, 2024, in New York Metropolis. | Supply: Stephanie Keith / Getty
In a second of wealthy irony, alleged medical insurance CEO assassin Luigi Mangione landed in New York Metropolis on Thursday following his extradition from Pennsylvania solely to be greeted by individuals who included the Huge Apple’s mayor, Eric Adams, who’s, himself, equally dealing with felony prison expenses in Manhattan.
A New York grand jury formally indicted Mangione on first-degree homicide — a terrorism cost — for the brazen killing of Brian Thompson outdoors of a resort in midtown earlier this month. Mangione was arraigned on Thursday.
MORE: Learn The Full Federal Indictment Towards NYC Mayor Eric Adams
And practically three months in the past, a New York Metropolis grand jury formally indicted Adams on 5 whole counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery expenses that alleged years of brazen corruption.
Nonetheless, that’s the place the similarities seemingly finish between Adams and Mangione, the latter of whom has managed to domesticate a severe celeb standing following Thompson being shot within the again in an ambush assault caught on video. Critics of the medical insurance business have branded Mangione a hero for appearing in opposition to a enterprise sector that’s been accused of prioritizing greed over wellness.
Protestors stand outdoors after Luigi Mangione left Blair County Courthouse in NYPD custody, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 2024. | Supply: ADAM GRAY / Getty
Adams, then again, has seen steadily waning public help for his mayorship as members of his administration and their associates are more and more offered as being responsible by affiliation with the mayor ultimately, form or trend. Critics of Adams, the second-ever African American mayor of New York Metropolis, have known as for his resignation and mentioned his indictment is a “shame” to Black New Yorkers.
Nonetheless, Adams nonetheless determined to insert himself into the center of the legislation enforcement scrum escorting Mangione on Thursday afternoon, regardless of the optics of a federally indicted alleged felonious prison purporting ethical authority over one other federally indicted alleged felonious prison.
“This act of terrorism and the violence that stems from (Mangione’s case) is one thing that won’t be tolerated within the metropolis. We needed to personally be right here to point out the symbolism of main from the entrance,” Adams informed reporters earlier than condemning people who find themselves displaying help for Mangione.
“You’re celebrating utilizing violence to unravel a difficulty,” Adams mentioned earlier than including later: “An individual that makes use of a gun to unravel a priority – if it’s on a faculty campus or our streets – there are mechanisms on this nation for easy methods to arrange round these problems with concern. You don’t use a gun.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch maintain a press convention after Luigi Mangione, suspect within the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York Metropolis, arrives at a heliport with members of the NYPD on December 19, 2024, in New York Metropolis. | Supply: Stephanie Keith / Getty
(After all, the NYPD has been accused of shortly resorting to gun violence, significantly in Black and brown communities, with an impunity that Adams has lengthy supported, however that’s one other story…)
Adams’ phrases got here on the identical day that one in every of his high aides was the recipient of a federal indictment alleging conspiracy, bribery and cash laundering.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin “gave particular remedy to a pair of actual property builders when their building venture ran right into a bureaucratic hurdle,” Politico reported. “In alternate for her assist, the duo offered Lewis-Martin and her son with greater than $100,000 in checks and money, which Lewis-Martin’s son used to purchase a Porsche, the criticism alleged.”
Former chief advisor to Mayor of New York Metropolis Eric Adams, Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin (C) arrives for her arraignment on bribery expenses on the State Supreme Court docket in New York Metropolis on December 19, 2024. | Supply: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
The reference to “actual property builders” and “their building venture” is straight associated to Adams, who was beneath a federal investigation for no less than three years previous to his indictment for probably conspiring with Turkey to obtain donations from the overseas nation, which might be a violation of U.S. marketing campaign finance legal guidelines. Adams was additionally being investigated for allegedly receiving different improper advantages from Turkey, which stood to profit from a state-of-the-art Turkish consulate constructing in New York Metropolis. Amongst these alleged advantages are what the New York Occasions described as “priceless flight upgrades they consider the mayor obtained from Turkish Airways.”
The investigations have notably included the feds confiscating digital gadgets from Adams and a number of other of his staffers, two of whom had their properties raided. A number of others in Adams’ administration have since resigned.
Adams, a profession Democrat, has not too long ago been flirting with the thought of turning into a Republican amid reported hopes that Donald Trump will pardon him, one thing the president-elect mentioned he can be open to contemplating.
It’s exhausting to disregard that a part of the bigger ironic context through which Adams determined to escort Mangione.
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