NYC Mayor Eric Adams moves to dismiss bribery charge

MANHATTAN (CN) — Indicted New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked a federal judge Friday to dismiss the bribery count against him under assertions the government’s evidence are insufficient to support its claims.

Adams in September pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and bribery charges after prosecutors accused him of selling his political influence to foreign nationals. According to a five-count indictment, Adams accepted and concealed luxury perks and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish government official and Turkish businessmen who sought to purchase political favors from him before and after he was elected in 2021.

“It doesn’t actually allege an agreement to take official action,” John Bash, an attorney with Quinn Emmanuel representing Adams, said of the indictment during the motion hearing.

Adams argues prosecutors have failed to demonstrate in the indictment any official act he performed at the time he received a benefit.

“Rather it alleges only that while serving as Brooklyn Borough President — not mayor, or even mayor-elect — he agreed generally to assist with the ‘operation’ or ‘regulation’ of a Turkish Consulate building in Manhattan, where he had no authority whatsoever, in exchange for travel benefits,” Adams says in the motion.

Prosecutors argue that the indictment does not have to be more specific. They say additional details can be outlined in jury instructions.

“Indictments only have to identify with enough specificity so you know what happened,” Hagan Cordell Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney, said.

But U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, a Joe Biden appointee, on Friday didn’t seem inclined to agree with the government’s evasion.

“You still need something more concrete here than what you have,” Ho said.

In rebuttal, Bash pointed out that prosecutors failed again to specifically point out official actions that Adams took to warrant a bribery charge.

“The prosecutors of the United States had trouble stating what the quo is,” Bash exclaimed as he returned to the podium.

He also disagreed with the government’s assertions that the indictment does not have to be more specific in order to survive a motion for dismissal.

“The indictment is what sets the facts,” Bash said.

Ho did not indicate when he would rule, but he did tentatively set a trial date beginning on April 25, 2025. That’s in spite of Adams’ request for the trial to conclude by early April at the latest.

Despite calls from fellow New York Democratic politicians for him to step down, Adams has refused to resign as mayor. The embattled incumbent still plans to run for reelection next year.

Alex Spiro, an attorney of Quinn Emanuel, reiterated his argument Friday that an earlier trial would allow Adams to still run for reelection without being significantly burdened by court proceedings.

When Ho asked whether a month would make a difference, Spiro emphasized that an ongoing trial could influence the public’s perception of him while he’s actively running for reelection.

“One they are on the ballot, the competition begins,” Spiro said.

Prosecutors say Adams’ corruption began a decade ago, when he was serving as the Brooklyn borough president — a position which holds no authority over passing legislation or enforcing laws. They say it continued through his mayoral administration.

According to his indictment, Adams solicited illegal campaign donations from so-called straw donors, which they say contributed to Adams’ ability to unlock $10 million in public-campaign funds. That money came from a municipal program administered by the New York City Campaign Finance Board, which matches small-donor contributions from city residents.

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