Attorneys for New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams requested a federal decide Monday to toss out the “extraordinarily vague” bribery cost in opposition to him.
In a 25-page submitting, Adams legal professional Alex Spiro argued that prosecutors did not show the mayor took bribes when he allegedly pressured the town’s fireplace division to open a Turkish consular constructing with no security inspection.
“The indictment in this case alleges a ‘bribery’ scheme that does not meet the definition of bribery and indeed does not amount to a federal crime at all,” Spiro wrote.
The Adams legal professional cited a current Supreme Courtroom ruling that made it tougher to prosecute public officers for corruption. In June, the justices dominated 6-3 in favor of an ex-Indiana mayor who challenged a bribery conviction on the identical cost Adams now faces, arguing prosecutors failed to point out a “quid pro quo” settlement.
Spiro contended that prosecutors equally did not allege any particular exchanges or conversations between Adams and a Turkish official the place they entered into such a deal.
“That was not a drafting oversight. The zealous prosecutors who secured the indictmentwould have alleged that kind of specific agreement if they had any evidence to support it,” Spiro wrote. “But they do not, and they know that Adams never entered into any such agreement.”
Adams is accused of accepting “improper valuable benefits” over the span of a decade from rich overseas businesspeople and no less than one Turkish authorities official who was looking for to affect him.
Prosecutors say that, finally, the Turkish official prompted Adams to pay again the advantages by facilitating the expedited opening of a brand new Turkish consular constructing, which might have failed a hearth security inspection on the time. The mayor allegedly pressured the New York Metropolis Hearth Division to open the constructing, which resulted in a hearth division official being informed he would lose his job if he didn’t acquiesce.
The bribery cost is one in all 5 counts Adams faces, which additionally embrace wire fraud and solicitation of a contribution by a overseas nationwide. He pleaded not responsible on all counts final week, vowing to struggle the fees and refusing to resign.
Within the Monday submitting, Spiro referred to as the remainder of the indictment “equally meritless” and stated the opposite costs could be litigated sooner or later.
“But with respect to bribery, the deficiencies in the government’s case are clear on the face of the indictment,” the mayor’s legal professional wrote. “In this circumstance, the federal rules entitle Adams to a swift dismissal of the charge.”
