The New York City Mayor Eric Adams was back in the federal courthouse of Manhattan on Wednesday to hear a case in which he could be sent to prison for years if convicted. However, the defense team for the former cop is asking the court to throw out at least one charge in order to punish the government over leaks.
Adams entered the courtroom around 10:24 am, smiling and wearing a navy suit. Before joining his attorneys at the defense desk, he placed a hand upon a supporter’s shoulder. At 10:32, District Judge Dale Ho began the hearing.
The prosecution said that it was “quite probable” that new charges would be brought – possibly against other defendants or in new cases. They said the investigation was ongoing. The defense won a small victory by demanding that the Justice Department respond quickly to the motions filed this week, as the mayor stands up for his right to speedy trial.
Federal prosecutors requested a deadline of October 30, but the judge extended it to the 18th. The defense demanded that discovery be disclosed by the first of December. This was again granted.
Alex Spiro, the defense attorney, went on to claim that the mayor’s team was eager to proceed to trial in the event the case survived the motions filed by him earlier this week. He also accused the government of stalling. He wants a trial date in March and expects the mayor to be acquitted.
“They are trying to stymie prosecutors because they believe that the defense has more resources than they do and they don’t think they are ready,” said Neama Rahamani, a former federal prosecution and Los Angeles trial lawyer.
The prosecutors, on the other hand, have multiple witnesses, a paper trail, and text messages.
Rahmani said, “It is a strong case but the government will have to rely upon cooperator testimony to prove Adams’ intention.” “The campaign finance violations and ethics violations are much easier to prove than any quid-pro-quo for the bribery.”
Separately, the two sides have agreed to stop sharing certain material with the media.
Adams is accused by the FBI of soliciting illegal contributions and accepting bribes from foreign nationals. He then used these illegal donations to collect taxpayer money in the form of “matching grants” that paid out $8 for every $1.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York alleges that Adams used his government position to get benefits, such as luxury travel and fine dining from wealthy business leaders. This includes at least one Turkish official.
Adams is accused of providing favors in exchange for approvals from the fire department to open a new diplomatic building in Manhattan despite safety concerns. Adams’ defense countered by saying that Adams had no authority to open the Manhattan building when he served as Brooklyn’s Borough President and could not or did not perform the “official act” needed to prove his case.
Adams described the investigation in a retaliatory manner for his criticisms of the Biden and Harris administration’s border policies.
Previously, the mayor blamed the White House for an overwhelming migrant crisis that occurred in New York City. Police in New York City said that the influx of illegal immigration coincided with an increase in robberies.
The mayor was released on bail without a plea of guilty at his last arraignment. He says that he is not stepping down and denies all wrongdoing. He faces up to 45 years of prison if convicted.
Adams’ lawyers filed a motion on Monday to dismiss the bribery charges, arguing that the allegations do not meet the requirements of a federal statute called Section 666. They cited a recent Supreme Court decision in favor of a mayor from Indiana accused of bribery after he collected $13,000 he claimed was a legal payment for consulting services.
On Tuesday, Adams’ attorneys filed a motion for an evidentiary proceeding and sanctions against the Department of Justice. They accused the Department of Justice of leaking confidential materials from the grand jury to the media.
The indictment could be thrown out completely, they suggested.
Experts agree that leak investigations are rare, but they can have a significant impact on a case.
Anthony Capozzolo said that leaks had occurred in many high-profile cases of corruption. He handled similar cases in the Eastern District of New York, which is located nearby. “But, they don’t usually result in a change in the outcome of an investigation.”
