New York City Mayor Eric Adams takes an unexpected legal stance, seeking dismissal of a federal bribery charge just days after his indictment.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Adams filed a motion on Monday asking a federal judge to throw out the bribery charge included in his recent indictment.
The mayor's legal team argues that prosecutors have failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the allegations against him. The motion accuses the Justice Department of overzealousness and misapplication of the law in their pursuit of the mayor, signaling a contentious legal battle ahead.
Adams' lawyers contend that the indictment lacks a crucial legal requirement for a bribery charge. They argue that prosecutors have not demonstrated that Adams agreed to accept free benefits in exchange for his assistance with opening a new Turkish consular building in Manhattan.
Representing Mayor Adams, Alex Spiro held a news conference on Monday to address the charges. He characterized the travel perks allegedly received by Adams as gratuities, asserting that such benefits do not violate federal law.
Spiro emphasized the commonplace nature of such perks for elected officials, stating:
They get corner suites. They get better tables at restaurants. They get free appetizers. They have their ice tea filled up.
The indictment against Adams, making him the first sitting New York City mayor in modern times to face such charges, alleges that he accepted luxury travel perks from Turkish nationals. In return, prosecutors claim, Adams helped facilitate the opening of a new Turkish consular building without a mandatory fire inspection.
Additionally, the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office has charged Adams with channeling illegal foreign political donations into his 2021 mayoral campaign. The mayor has pleaded not guilty to all charges and vehemently denies the allegations, calling them lies.
Recent Supreme Court decisions have set a higher standard for bribery prosecutions. The law now requires prosecutors to demonstrate that a public official accepted something of value specifically in exchange for an official act.
The prosecution alleges that Adams while serving as Brooklyn borough president in 2021, pressured the fire department to allow the opening of the Turkish consular building despite safety concerns. However, Adams' legal team argues that this does not constitute an official act, as he had no authority over a building in Manhattan at the time.
Adams' lawyers stated in their motion:
There is accordingly nothing about this case to distinguish it from any situation in which one official raises an issue with another official who is not under his supervision or control—an everyday occurrence at all levels of government.
Spiro dismissed the campaign finance allegations as technical violations that are commonplace and do not amount to federal crimes.
Mayor Eric Adams has swiftly moved to challenge a federal bribery charge, arguing that prosecutors have failed to meet the legal requirements for such an accusation. His defense team contends that the alleged benefits were merely gratuities and not tied to any official acts. The case, unprecedented for a sitting New York City mayor, involves allegations of accepting luxury travel perks from Turkish nationals and funneling illegal foreign donations into his 2021 campaign, all of which Adams denies.
