NYC Mayor Eric Adams due in court to seek bribery charge dismissal
NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected back in court Friday afternoon as his attorney seeks to get the bribery charge against him dismissed.
They are also expected to discuss a potential trial date.
Adams' attorney Alex Spiro has claimed the bribery charge is "not a real case."
Adams faces corruption charges
Adams faces five federal corruption charges
- 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 Adams indictment here.
Adams is accused of accepting travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions.
Spiro has argued that accepting travel benefits like travel upgrades does not meet the legal definition of bribery, and that prosecutors should've known that.
"Courtesies to politicians are not federal crimes," Spiro previously said.
He has also criticized prosecutors for referencing events that happened while Adams was Brooklyn borough president and for leaking stories about the case to the media.
"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 previously said.
Adams has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and said he has no plans to resign.
Following his indictment and a flurry of federal activity, many top officials within the Adams administration either retired or resigned.