In a recent development, legal representatives for New York City Mayor Eric Adams have urged a federal judge to dismiss a portion of the mayor's corruption case.
The lawyers maintain that Adams did not engage in bribery when he allegedly influenced FDNY leaders to expedite the opening of a Turkish tower. This motion, filed swiftly, argues for the dismissal of one of the five criminal charges Adams faces - bribery. This comes less than a week after a federal grand jury delivered the shocking indictment.
According to The New York Post, the defense team for Adams has also labeled the rest of the case, brought forward by the Manhattan US Attorneys Office, as "meritless." They have further criticized former staffer Rana Abbasova, who is anticipated to be a key witness for the federal prosecution.
The defense team stated, Despite the fact that the indictment reproduces quotes from messages, emails, and conversations for numerous other points, it does not allege any specific exchanges or conversations in which Adams and the Turkish official entered into this purported quid pro quo agreement. They also referenced a recent US Supreme Court decision that has weakened anti-corruption laws.
Federal prosecutors allege that Adams, in his capacity as the presumptive mayor-elect, pressured the fire department to hasten the opening of a new 36-story Turkish consular building without a fire inspection in September 2021. This was allegedly in exchange for free and heavily discounted luxury travel perks. The indictment includes messages between Adams and the then-FDNY commissioner and details luxurious flight upgrades and opulent hotel suite stays Adams received from Turkish backers dating back to 2016.
The bribery charge that the defense seeks to dismiss accuses Adams of accepting these luxury travel bribes in 2021 and 2022 in exchange for pressuring the FDNY to approve the Turkish House despite fire safety concerns. Adams is also accused of encouraging Turkish benefactors to channel cash into his 2021 campaign through illegal straw donations, and of fraudulently obtaining $10 million in public campaign money.
Adams, serving his first term as mayor, has denied any wrongdoing and pledged to contest the case. He has also resisted growing calls to resign in the wake of the indictment. The next hearing in the case, assigned to District Judge Dale Ho, is scheduled for Wednesday.
Adams legal team, including renowned attorney Alex Spiro, argued in Mondays court documents that the US Attorneys Office failed to demonstrate that Adams agreed to accept any gift specifically in exchange for exercising his governmental influence, labeling the allegations as vague.
The defense team claimed that the texts Adams sent urging then-FDNY commissioner Daniel Nigro to ensure that the Turkish tower would be open in time for a visit from Turkeys president are merely innocuous messages that do not amount to what are known as official acts needed to substantiate a bribery charge.
The motion contended that since Adams was only Brooklyn borough president at the time, he did not possess the authority to order the FDNY to take action regarding the Manhattan building. The former NYPD captain had secured the Democratic primary for mayor months earlier and was expected to easily win the general election in November against Republican Curtis Sliwa.
The defense argued, The government is effectively claiming that Adams used his potential future position as Mayor to exert pressure on officials, not the official position he actually held. They further stated, No precedent supports the notion that a candidate for office commits an official act by using her potential future powers to pressure an official to take some action.
The defense also argued that allegations of Adams receiving travel benefits during a trip to Ghana after the skyscraper was opened could simply be interpreted as gratuities, which they said would fall outside the scope of bribery laws.
The motion accuses prosecutors of attempting to criminalize routine interactions by government officials, and claims the indictment replaces measured ethics rules with the blunt force of federal criminal law.
Adams lawyers labeled the rest of the criminal counts as equally meritless, arguing they all stem from false claims from a self-interested staffer with an axe to grind, referring to Abbasova, a former aide and liaison to the Turkish community. Sources have informed The Post that Abbasova is cooperating with authorities and is a key witness. Adams attorneys did not provide any evidence to support their argument against her merely claiming that more will be revealed in the course of litigation.
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