NYC Mayor Eric Adams asks court to dismiss bribery charge
NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams filed a motion to dismiss one of the five federal corruption charges against him, which his lawyer said is not "a real case."
Adams was charged last week with bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations in a 57-page indictment, including:
- Count 1: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery and to receive campaign contribution by foreign national
- Count 2: Wire fraud
- Count 3: Solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national
- Count 4: Solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national
- Count 5: Bribery
Read the full indictment here.
"Courtesies to politicians are not federal crimes"
On Monday, Alex Spiro, Adams' high-powered defense attorney, filed a motion asking the court to dismiss Count 5, the bribery charge, and attempted to poke holes in the case.
"The indictment in this case alleges a 'bribery' scheme that does not meet the definition of bribery and indeed does not amount to a federal crime at all," the motion's preliminary statement says.
Adams is accused of accepting travel benefits, like airline upgrades, and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for political favors. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges at his arraignment in Lower Manhattan on Friday.
"Courtesies to politicians are not federal crimes," Spiro said.
Spiro didn't stop there. He also criticized the other four charges against Adams, the first New York City mayor ever to be indicted in office.
"In the events in question, Mayor Adams was the Brooklyn borough president. He was not the mayor. He wasn't even the mayor-elect, and the position of Brooklyn borough president does not have vast powers. It has, frankly, very little. To believe these prosecutors, you'd have to believe that the gentleman of the airlines, 10 years ago, he was the one who predicted that Eric Adams ... would one day be mayor," Spiro said.
Spiro also targeted a woman identified in court papers as a "self-interested staffer with an axe to grind," an apparent reference to Rana Abbasova, a former longtime aide and liaison to the Turkish community. He insisted Abbasova lied repeatedly.
"The indictment, the government says she lied. It's not just me saying she lied. The indictment says that she lied," Spiro said. "I am telling all of you, and the government knows this, that she then lies again about something very important, or I wouldn't keep talking about it ... The main lie is that Eric Adams knew about anything having to do with this. That's the main lie, but there's lots of lies."
Spiro also criticized federal officials for leaking stories about the case to the media, saying he would seek judicial sanctions. A spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office declined to comment.
Governor won't use power to remove Adams from office, yet
The legal filings come as Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked repeatedly if she will invoke her power to remove Adams from office. The governor refused to give a timeline, insisting it has to do with the mayor's ability to govern and deliver services.
"As someone who's been in government for 30 solid years, I know what functioning government is and looks like and I'm making sure that I see that through the eyes of New Yorkers, that their lives are not disrupted by this," Hochul said.
Adams says he's not leaving.
"I've done nothing wrong. Time will prove that and people will look back on this moment and say we're glad we gave this mayor the opportunity to do the work he's doing," Adams said.
Over the weekend, he responded to calls for him to step down with, "When people say, 'You need to resign,' I say, 'I need to reign.'"
Senior advisor Timothy Pearson tenders resignation
Timothy Pearson has been a close confidant of the mayor's for years. He spent 30 years with the NYPD and then 11 in the private sector before Adams named him the senior advisor for public safety and COVID recovery.
Pearson oversaw migrant shelters, their contracts and security, and advised the mayor on new technology for the NYPD.
Earlier this month, Pearson's cellphones were seized by the feds and in a letter Monday night he told the mayor he has decided to resign.
"I've decided to focus on family, self-care and new endeavors," Pearson wrote.
Pearson's decision comes just a few weeks after federal investigators raided his home and others in the mayor's inner circle, and five days after Adams was indicted.
Adams said in a statement Monday night, "We appreciate Tim's decades of service to this city and wish him well."
Pearson's last day will be Friday. Sources in City Hall say there are no present plans to replace him.