Eric Ulrich, the embattled former New York City Buildings Commissioner facing charges of taking more than $150,000 in bribes and trading political favors, acknowledged he can no longer afford the costs of his legal battles and asked a judge on Wednesday to appoint him an attorney.
“At this point, he doesn't have any more funds,” Ulrich's current lawyer, Sam Braverman, said at a Manhattan Supreme Court hearing in which Ulrich is accused of trading in political positions, including a stint as a senior adviser to Mayor Eric Adams, for items such as $10,000 worth of Mets season tickets and custom suits.
Braverman added that Ulrich, 39, who now works as an insurance broker and published a children's book during the years of his corruption investigation, also can't afford to hire new lawyers.
When asked by Judge Daniel Comviser if that was true, Judge Ulrich replied, “Yes, your Honor.”
The judge then said he would appoint an experienced lawyer, paid for by the court, to Ulrich within the next few days.
Ulrich didn't comment when asked about his financial situation on his way out of court, but the Queens native and die-hard Mets fan lit up when a reporter asked him whether the team's in-form franchise shortstop, Francisco Lindor, should be named Major League Baseball's Most Valuable Player.
“That's not for me to decide,” he joked with a smile.
Ulrich was indicted along with six other defendants, including Mark Kohler (51), a Brooklyn real estate developer and major Adams donor; brothers Joseph (55) and Anthony Libreri (51), who own a pizza parlor in Queens; Michael Mazzio (54), a Brooklyn towing company owner; Paul Grego (73), a consultant who worked for the Building Department to fast-track permits and plan approvals for clients; and Victor Truta (53), a former city Corrections Department employee.
The cases against all the men are still pending.
Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer
