Mayor Eric Adams accuses federal authorities of illegally leaking confidential grand jury information to the media, intervening in a new motion filed early Tuesday with the Manhattan judge overseeing his criminal case. I asked.
Mr. Hitzoner's lawyers have requested a court hearing to investigate alleged leaks from federal officials and prosecutors involved in bombshell statements against the Big Apple's one-term leader.
“For nearly a year, the government has leaked grand jury materials and other confidential information to the media in order to aggrandize itself, advance the investigation, and unfairly prejudice the defendant, Mayor Eric Adams,” the lawyers said. said in a new complaint.
A grand jury handed down a five-count indictment against Adams last week, accusing Paul, 64, of accepting bribes in exchange for favors, collecting illegal straw donations and defrauding the city of $10 million in public campaign funds. Accused.
Adams' lawyers argued in a motion Tuesday that federal authorities have been whispering developments related to the investigation to the news media over the past year in an attempt to confuse their client.
The defense pointed to a series of investigative articles published by The New York Times between November and last week as evidence that federal authorities were allegedly providing information to the press in violation of the law.
The Times article cites anonymous sources, and Adams' legal team argues that the information reported by the Times could only have come from federal authorities.
“The prejudice resulting from these leaks was profound,” prominent attorney Alex Spiro and firm wrote. “A series of critical articles based on unsolicited and misleading government leaks undermined public support for the mayor long before he was charged with a crime and could defend himself in court.”
As the investigation intensified, Adams' lawyers said they sent letters to the government in June and August requesting an internal investigation into the leaks, but were ignored.
| year | destination | advantage | value | Was it disclosed? |
| 2016 | India (via Türkiye) | Complimentary Business Class Upgrade for 2 people on round-trip flights from New York to India | $12,000 | no |
| 2017 | France, Türkiye, China | Complimentary round-trip business class flights for three people from New York to France, Türkiye and China. Greatly discounted stays at the Bentley Suites at The St. Regis Istanbul | Over $41,000 | no |
| 2017 | China (via Türkiye) | Free round-trip business class airfare for 2 people from New York to China | Over $16,000 | no |
| 2018 | Hungary (via Türkiye) | Complimentary upgrade to business class for 2 people on round-trip flights from New York to Hungary | Over $12,000 | no |
| 2019 | turkey | One passenger gets a free upgrade to business class on flights from New York to Türkiye. Free night stay in a Cosmopolitan Suite at The St. Regis Istanbul. Free meals, transportation and entertainment in Istanbul | Over $9,000 | no |
| 2021 | Türkiye (requested and accepted, then canceled) | Complimentary business class upgrades for up to two passengers on round-trip flights from New York to Türkiye. Free or deeply discounted stays, transportation, entertainment, and meals at luxury hotels and resorts | Over $21,000 | no |
| 2021 | Ghana (via Türkiye) | Complimentary upgrade to Business Class for 2 people on round-trip flights from New York to Ghana. Free meals and transportation during your Istanbul layover | Over $12,000 | no |
When the defense raised the issue in a phone call in late August, prosecutors again dismissed the concerns, according to court documents.
Adams' court is asking District Judge Dale Ho to schedule an evidentiary hearing to “investigate the breaches in this case and impose meaningful consequences.”
Stay up to date on the New York Post's coverage of the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams
If a federal employee is found to have divulged classified information, possible consequences include a judge dismissing the case, throwing out evidence, or forcing prosecutors or prosecutors to step aside and stay out of the case. Lawyers argued that this should include doing things like:
“Any remedies imposed after an evidentiary hearing must be commensurate with the seriousness of the breach, including dismissal if prejudice is established,” Adams' attorneys wrote.
The latest argument comes as part of a legal attack Adams' lawyers launched this week against the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office as their client fights for his political life.
Reuters
Mr. Spiro argued on Monday that the bribery charges against Mr. Adams should be dropped, arguing that the gifts given to Mr. Hizzoner by Turkish bigwigs were not bribes but typical perks for politicians.
He also said the entire incident was “worthless.”
Adams, a former New York City police officer, has denied the charges and said he has no intention of resigning despite growing calls for him to do so.
