New York Mayor Eric Adams’ defense asked a federal judge Monday to deny part of his client’s corruption case, insisting that Hizzoner did not accept bribes when he pressured FDNY leaders to rush the opening of the Turkish tower.
The motion alleges that one of the five criminal charges Adams faces, bribery, should be dismissed less than a week after a federal grand jury returned the indictment.
Lawyers called the rest of the case brought by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office “meritless” and attacked former employee Rana Abbasova, who is expected to be a key witness for the feds.
“Although the indictment reproduces quotes from messages, emails and conversations on numerous other points, it does not allege any specific exchange or conversation in which Adams and the Turkish official entered into this alleged quid pro quo agreement,” his team said. legal, while taking aim at a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court that has weakened anti-corruption laws.
For his part, federal prosecutors argue that the mayor of NYC, while in office, pressured the New York Fire Department to rush to open a new 36-story Turkish consular building without a fire inspection in September. of 2021 in exchange for free and deeply discounted luxury travel benefits.
The indictment includes messages between Adams and the former FDNY commissioner and details lavish flight upgrades and hotel suite stays that Hizzoner received from sponsors from Turkey who have been coming since 2016.
The bribery charge that lawyers want dismissed accuses the mayor of accepting bribes for expensive trips in 2021 and 2022 in exchange for pressuring the FDNY to rush the Turkish Chamber despite fire safety concerns.
Additionally, Adams is accused of encouraging Turkish benefactors to funnel money to his 2021 campaign through illicit “fictitious donations” and fraudulently obtaining $10 million in public money for his campaign.
The Democrat, who is in his first term, has flatly denied any wrongdoing and promised to fight the case. Additionally, he has resisted increased calls for his resignation following his indictment.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Wednesday and was assigned to District Judge Dale Ho.
Adams’ lawyers, including renowned attorney Alex Spiro, said in Monday’s court papers that the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not highlight that the mayor specifically accepted any gifts in exchange for exerting his influence, calling the accusations “vague.”
The texts Adams sent calling on then-FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro to ensure the Turkish tower was open in time for a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are merely “innocuous” messages that do not amount to the what is known as “official acts” necessary for a bribery charge to stick, the legal team said.
The motion argued that because Adams was only Brooklyn borough president at the time, he did not have enough power to order the FDNY to take action regarding the Manhattan building, the New York Post reported.
On the other hand, the former captain of the New York Police Department (NYPD) had won the Democratic primary for mayor months earlier and was expected to win easily against Republican Curtis Sliwa.
“The government is effectively claiming that Adams used his potential future position as mayor to put pressure on officials, not the official position he actually held,” the motion says.
“There is no precedent to support the idea that a candidate for office would commit an official act by using his potential future powers to pressure an official to take action.”
The current mayor’s defenders argued that allegations that he received benefits on his trip to Ghana following the skyscraper’s inauguration could simply amount to “tips,” which they said would fall outside the scope of bribery laws.
In this case, the motion accuses prosecutors of attempting to criminalize “the routine interactions of government officials” and asserts that the indictment “replaces measured ethical rules with the blunt force of federal criminal law.”
Lawyers for the New York mayor called the rest of the criminal charges “equally baseless,” alleging that they all stem from “false statements” by a “personally invested staff member and a vested interest,” referring to Abbasova. , former assistant and liaison to the Turkish community.
Some sources explained that Abbasova is cooperating with authorities and a key witness in the case.
The mayor’s lawyers did not offer any evidence to support their claim against her, simply stating that “more information will be revealed in the course of the litigation.”
Keep reading:
- NYC Ombudsman sends mail to ask for funds after Adams accusation, mayoral candidacy rumored
- Political crisis in New York: Mayor Adams pleads “not guilty” to federal bribery and fraud charges
- Bribery, wire fraud and receiving foreign money: 5 federal charges against Mayor Adams of New York