New York City Mayor Eric Adams is at the center of a legal battle after being charged with federal corruption offenses, including bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance violations. His lawyer, Alex Spiro, has filed a motion to dismiss one of the charges, specifically the bribery charge, arguing that the accusations do not meet the legal definition of bribery and are not federal crimes.
The accusations against Adams involve allegedly accepting travel benefits and campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for political favors. Adams pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment in Lower Manhattan, with Spiro emphasizing that these actions were not criminal and were merely courtesies to politicians, asserting that being courteous is not a federal offense.
Spiro further criticized the indictment, questioning the validity of the charges against Mayor Adams, who was the Brooklyn borough president at the time of the alleged events. He pointed out that as the borough president, Adams had limited powers, casting doubt on the prosecutors' claims that Adams engaged in corrupt practices to secure future political positions. Spiro also took issue with the credibility of a key witness in the case, Rana Abbasova, suggesting that she had lied multiple times according to the indictment. Additionally, he condemned federal officials for leaking information to the media and hinted at seeking judicial sanctions against them.
Meanwhile, questions have been raised about Governor Kathy Hochul's potential intervention to remove Adams from office. Hochul emphasized the importance of ensuring governance and service delivery in the city but did not provide a clear timeline for any action. Mayor Adams, on his part, has maintained his innocence, expressing confidence that time will vindicate him and that he is focused on continuing his work for the people of New York City despite the legal challenges he is facing.