Reject Bid by Adams to Dismiss Bribery Charge, Prosecutors Urge Judge
The New York Times
Within days of being criminally indicted, Mayor Eric Adams asked a judge to drop one of five counts against him. Prosecutors say a jury should get to hear their evidence.
Federal prosecutors on Friday argued against a request by Mayor Eric Adams that a judge throw out a bribery charge against Mr. Adams, saying they had clearly demonstrated his alleged pattern of soliciting and accepting luxury travel.
In a 25-page filing, prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan also said that Mr. Adams, the first sitting New York City mayor in modern history to be indicted on criminal charges, was mistaken in arguing that his actions were routine for a public official. They said a jury should decide the issue.
“It should be clear from the face of the indictment that there is nothing routine about a public official accepting over $100,000 in benefits from a foreign diplomat, which he took great pains to conceal — including by manufacturing fake paper trails to create the illusion of payment,” prosecutors said.
The filing is the latest installment in what will most likely be a long, contentious legal battle between the mayor and federal prosecutors, led by Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District.
In September, federal prosecutors announced a five-count indictment against Mr. Adams that included charges of bribery and fraud. Prosecutors have said in court that they might bring additional charges against the mayor and others.
Mr. Adams has pleaded not guilty and has asked the federal judge overseeing the case, Dale E. Ho, to issue sanctions against prosecutors after accusing them of leaking information about the investigation to reporters. Prosecutors were expected to file a response later on Friday to the allegations that they had leaked information.
