Mayor Adams appears in court as lawyer tries to get bribery charges dropped
The charge is apart of a five count indictment that was unsealed in September.
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Mayor Eric Adams appeared in court Friday as he seeks to get bribery charges thrown out.
The charge is part of a five-count indictment that was unsealed in September.
Among the charges are conspiracy, wire fraud, and that the mayor solicited illegal campaign donations from Turkish nationals. Prosecutors accuse Adams of accepting flight upgrades and travel perks totaling around $100,000.
Spiro has called the charges "extraordinarily vague," and that the flight upgrades and perks are "classic gratuities."
Prosecutors allege the mayor accepted these gifts in exchange for favors, that included fast-tracking approvals to open the Turkish Consulate even though it did not pass fire safety inspections.
On Thursday, Judge Ho denied a motion to investigate whether prosecutors leaked sensitive information to the media.
On Friday, nearly 30 organizations, including the People's Plan, sent a public letter to the New York City Campaign Finance Board calling for an investigation into the mayor's campaign finance funds. The letter calls on the CFB to use its subpoena powers to investigate alleged misconduct by his campaign involving fraudulent straw donor contributions for taxpayer funded matching funds through the city's public financing system.
Adams pleaded not guilty to all five charges on Sept. 17 and has no plans to resign. His next court appearance is Dec. 20 at 4 p.m.
A trial date has been set for April 21, 2025.
Adams requested a March trial date in order to be wrapped and have time to recover before the June mayoral election. Prosecutors asked for a May trial.
Ho did not decide if the bribery charges will be dropped. That decision will be made later.
Adams attorney, Alex Spiro, argued the indictment is too vague and does not prove that a federal crime was actually committed.
News 12 Reporter Heather Fordham's Friday evening report on Mayor Eric Adams' latest court appearance.
