The Influencer Who Bought An American Politician
Arda Sayiner hobnobbed with celebrities and promoted luxury travel destinations. He also may be a key conspirator and witness in the Eric Adams bribery case.
Who is “The Promoter”?
Like the plots of Armando Giovanni’s Veep and The Thick of It, corruption scandals involving New York Mayor Eric Adam’s administration have spiraled into absurdity. Within the past year, more than a dozen city officials and high-ranking employees have either resigned or been fired, had their homes raided by the FBI, or both. City leadership became stretched so thin and so tarnished by alleged impropriety that Adams had to put the chief of the sanitation department, Jessica Tisch, in charge of the NYPD.
At the center of this cloud of ill-repute is Adams, himself. He’s currently under federal indictment over claims that he took over $100,000 in illicit freebies, including first-class airline tickets, stays at opulent hotels, expensive meals, and straw political donations, from Turkish officials and businessmen. Adams allegedly returned the favor by pressuring NYC’s fire department into allowing a newly built Turkish government-owned skyscraper in Manhattan to open without a mandatory inspection.
The idea of Adams — the mayor of the world’s richest city — arranging travel perks through back-room deals is made-for-sketch-comedy stuff. Saturday Night Live adapted the case for laughs just three days after it was made public. Comedian Devon Walker, playing Adams in a Weekend Update segment, jokingly addressed the bribery claims with a snarky non-denial: “So you want your mayor in coach, huh? You want me in the back with my legs all cramped and my mouth all dry from the biscotti? That’s what you want?”
Funny as it all might seem on the surface, there is a disturbing theme underpinning the scandal: the ease with which foreign interest groups can win over US political figures and worm their way into the public agenda. According to federal prosecutors, this under-the-table lobbying effort was sophisticated enough to involve a skillful middleman— a social media influencer who mingled with the rich and famous and who was in a perfect position to arrange all the right introductions.
In the indictment, this person is simply referenced as “the promoter.” But news publications revealed his name: Arda Sayiner, a Turkish journalist, publicity consultant, globe-trotting brand influencer, and, evidently (my assumption, anyway), an excellent judge of exploitable weaknesses of people in power.
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Sayiner probably didn’t begin his life mingling with the rich and famous. No elite schools appear on his LinkedIn profile. Instead, he identifies himself as a graduate of Turkey’s Marmara University (ranked 1,141 globally by US News & World Report), and holding an MBA from Southern States University, a for-profit US-based college.
But judging from his public Instagram, Sayiner, 41, is gifted with the type of posture and cheekbones that grant a person extraordinary social mobility. He has fewer than 25,000 followers, barely enough to register as a “brand influencer” in the marketing world. But what he lacks in volume he makes up for in quality. His photos include numerous shots of himself with A-list celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Wolfgang Puck, Helen Mirren, David Beckham, and Johnny Depp. Some celebrities appeared with him multiple times over several years, suggesting ongoing friendships.
Much of the rest of his account features him in exotic destinations, at luxurious hotels, or partaking in arts, fine dining, and cultural experiences. Many photos of Sayiner look like they could have been ripped out of the pages of GQ magazine, given how impeccably dressed he appears, the casual elegance of his pose, and the beauty of his surroundings. (Even celebrities usually need to employ stylists and professional photographers to look as consistently polished.)
When Turkish news organization 23 DERECE identified Sayiner as “the promoter” after the New York indictment was made public, and it showed a striking image of him that he had posted to both Twitter and Instagram. In the photo, Sayiner leans casually along a ledge in a gray wool suit, overlooking the hazy skyline of Istanbul, showing off the rich texture of his blazer.
Although Sayiner did not post any photos of himself with Adams (that I could find), evidence of their relationship appears elsewhere on the app. Another individual posted a short video of Sayiner introducing Adams to a fashion entrepreneur at an International Sustainable Leaders Dinner hosted by Sayiner in September 2023. The public official and Sayniner appear to be on friendly terms.
As of yet, it is not publicly known how Adams and Sayiner met. Sayiner notes on his website that Adams of one of “many” celebrities he has interviewed for Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. However, they might have struck up an acquaintance earlier. I reached out to Sayiner multiple times via his social media accounts to ask him directly about his relationship with Adams, but he didn’t reply.
Looking through Sayiner’s photos, I could imagine a plausible scenario. The influencer’s account showed that he often appeared at events and destinations where he could expand his social footprint. With his impeccably tailored suits, his knowledge of culture, food, and luxury goods, and many famous friends, he would telegraph himself from across a crowded room as someone Worth Knowing. He was like a honeypot for status seekers.
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Here’s what the prosecutors allege:
Adams, a rising star in New York City politics, became acquainted with a Turkish government official, a Turkish Airlines executive, and Sayiner sometime before he was elected Brooklyn Borough President in 2014. (An international studies researcher, Dominic Brunaccioni, posted a detailed backgrounder on LinkedIn that dates Turkey’s dealings with Adams back to 2011.)
The interaction started innocently enough; in 2015, Adams accepted two trips to Turkey, arranged by the men, and disclosed both to the city’s Conflict of Interest Board, suggesting he had nothing to hide.
Over the following few years, the friendship had gotten closer. Adams also stopped reporting the benefits he received on required disclosure forms. Upon request either to the executive or to Sayiner, he would get free upgrades to business class on Turkish Airlines, he enjoyed heavily discounted stays in lavish hotel suites.
For instance, in July and August 2017, Sayiner allegedly arranged for Adams, one of the politician’s relatives, and another associate to receive a heavily discounted stay in the “Bentley Suite,” at the St. Regis in Istanbul. Adams allegedly paid less than $600 even though booking the suite for two nights typically costs about $7,000. The suite, as you can see in the website image below, is pretty swanky.
Beyond arranging freebies and perks, Sayiner also helped other Turkish business executives with arranging straw donations — illegal donations funneled through other sources — for Adams’ mayoral campaign. Sayiner allegedly began puffing up Adams’ ego, suggesting he might be the next President of the United States. The influencer also bragged of his success in winning Adams’ ear to another Turkish associate, according to the indictment.
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As the Adams case has marched toward an April 2025 trial date, Sayiner’s name has dropped out of media reports. Additional filings in the criminal case also do not make any reference to the promoter. However, the prospect of him appearing in court as a key witness looms large.
Prosecutors have told the judge they expect multiple defendants to eventually be named in the case. It’s common for the government to strike cooperation deals with conspirators of primary targets, under which they plead guilty to less serious charges with a lower risk of prison time in exchange for testimony. Already a lower-level Turkish associate, Erden Arden, appears to have taken the bait.
For Sayiner, it may just be a matter of time before he follows suit. Meanwhile, he’s still posting perfect photos of himself on Instagram.
UPDATE (April 2025): New York City Mayor Eric Adams has avoided a trial — and with it, the uncomfortable spotlight that could have revealed far more about the alleged schemes outlined in the now-dismissed federal indictment. On April 2, 2025, a judge tossed the case with prejudice after the Justice Department abruptly sought dismissal, spurring resignations from prosecutors who accused the DOJ of bowing to political pressure. Unless state or local prosecutors bring charges against Adams, we may never get a full picture of Sayiner’s role in this alleged web.