Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 38
Less than a week into his federal corruption case, lawyers for Mayor Eric Adams filed a motion Monday to dismiss a charge that Adams accepted bribes from Turkish officials, citing a three-month-old Supreme Court decision that weakened federal enforcement of bribery.
Attorney Alex Spiro’s motion attempts to undermine federal prosecutors’ argument that Adams accepted luxury travel in exchange for pressuring FDNY officials to allow a new Turkish consulate to open even while the 36-story skyscraper was riddled with dozens of safety defects.
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted Adams Thursday on federal charges including bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. The indictment capped one of at least five investigations swirling around the mayor and members of his inner circle over the last year and a half.
Adams’ 25-page filing describes the prosecutors who brought the case as “zealous” and repeatedly refers to their allegations as “vague.” It claims that he never took any regulatory action, either as Brooklyn borough president or as mayor, to benefit the Turkish House.
Monday, Adams added two more private lawyers to his legal team, bringing the total to three attorneys with the white shoe firm Quinn Emanuel.
On Saturday, the Rev. Al Sharpton cautioned Gov. Kathy Hochul not to remove Adams from office, as the city charter permits her to do in the event of criminal charges.
Source: Gothamist
