New York City Mayor Eric Adams' legal team on Monday argued the bribery charge against him should be dismissed because it is "extraordinarily vague" and was brought by "zealous prosecutors ... casting about" for something to bolster their criminal case.
In a federal indictment, prosecutors accused Adams of accepting more than $100,000 in airline upgrades and lavish hotel stays from people tied to Turkey, as well as funding his run for mayor with illegal donations that let him qualify for more than $10 million in public campaign funds.
When a Turkish official told Adams it was "his turn" in 2021, the mayor allegedly pushed the New York City Fire Department to rush a safety inspection of the new Turkish Consulate in Manhattan.
The first-term Democrat pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on Friday. His appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker came one day after the indictment was unsealed.
According to ABC News, the mayor's attorney, Alex Spiro, said in Monday's court filing that the alleged conduct "does not meet the definition of bribery" because the indictment does not state that Adams agreed to perform an official act in exchange for the Turkish perks.
"Rather, it alleges only that while serving as Brooklyn Borough President — not Mayor or even Mayor-elect — he agreed generally to assist with the 'operation' or 'regulation' of a Turkish Consulate building in Manhattan, where he had no authority whatsoever," Spiro wrote in a motion to dismiss the bribery count.
What Adams stands accused of doing is not criminal, but, rather, standard operating procedure, the defense suggested.
"That extraordinarily vague allegation encompasses a wide array of normal and perfectly lawful acts that any City official would undertake for the consulate of an important foreign nation," the motion said. "The three innocuous messages Adams allegedly sent to the Fire Commissioner here fall far short of the kind official act necessary for bribery."
Adams, a former police captain who swept into office as a champion of law and order, faces five counts in total: one count each of wire fraud, bribery, and conspiracy, and two counts of receiving campaign contributions from a foreign national.
Federal prosecutors said Adams faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud, the most serious charge.
He is due back in court on Wednesday, ABC reported.
Spiro argued that the other four counts against Adams should also be dismissed.
"This isn't even a real case," the lawyer told reporters on Friday. "This is the airline upgrade corruption case."
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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