Adams’s Lawyers Ask Judge to Dismiss Federal Bribery Charge Against Him
The New York Times
Lawyers for Mayor Eric Adams of New York filed a 25-page memo arguing that the conduct described in the indictment against him did not meet the definition of bribery.
Lawyers for Mayor Eric Adams asked a federal judge on Monday to throw out the bribery charge against him, providing an early glimpse at how the defense plans to attack the first federal indictment of a sitting mayor in modern New York City history.
In a 25-page filing, Mr. Adams’s lawyers argued that the accusations against the mayor did not meet the federal definition of bribery, pointing to a recent Supreme Court ruling that raised the bar for prosecutors to bring corruption cases.
The filing comes four days after federal prosecutors in Manhattan announced a five-count indictment against the mayor, including charges of bribery and fraud.
Prosecutors said Mr. Adams accepted luxury travel benefits worth more than $100,000, as well as illegal campaign contributions from Turkey — and granted political favors to Turkish officials in exchange for these gifts.
Mr. Adams has said he has done nothing wrong, and he pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. He has shown no signs that he plans to resign.
