Mayor Eric Adams' hopes of defeating federal corruption charges may rest on an unlikely savior: Donald Trump.
Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election is seen by some in the Adams camp as a possible legal victory for the mayor against the unprecedented federal indictment, a person close to the case said. told the Post.
Insiders' hope is that President Trump will soon nominate someone to replace Attorney General Merrick Garland who can end the case against Adams, a person close to the case told the Post. spoke.
“Any adult can tell this is a strong case, so the new attorney general will help,” said a person with direct knowledge of Adams' legal strategy.
“I don't think it's far-fetched that a Trump victory could help Adams.”
The scenario laid out by Adams' lawyers hinges on whether Trump, or at least his nominee to head the Justice Department, sees similarities between the mayor and the former president's legal problems.
And Mr. Adams, a Democrat, and Mr. Trump, a Republican, are not as strange political bedfellows as they seem.
After Adams was indicted by the Garland Justice Department on bribery and corruption charges, Trump claimed he expected the mayor to face federal charges for his comments about immigration and implicitly against President Biden. did.
“And I said, 'You know what? He will be indicted within a year,” President Trump said.
Adams, who has pleaded not guilty to all five charges he faces, has similarly suggested without evidence that his stance on the immigration crisis has made him a target of a vengeful federal government.
The mayor has publicly supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the election and supported Biden when he withdrew his candidacy in July, before Adams was indicted.
But Mr. Adams modestly suggested that he would “welcome” Mr. Trump's support.
“We welcome support from all Americans,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter where they are or who they are.”
Mr. Adams also works behind the scenes with lawyers associated with Mr. Trump.
According to court records, conservative lawyer John Bash, one of former President Trump's White House legal advisers whom he selected in 2017 to serve as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, was involved in the federal indictment against Adams in Manhattan. is supporting the fight.
He is working with Adams' lead attorney, Alex Spiro, at the firm Quinn Emanuel.
Adams is also working with attorney William “Bill” Burke, who previously represented President Trump's former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
The mayor endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.
A scenario favorable to President Trump for Adams' defense would be the same as a former president's pending convictions for things like hush money payments to porn stars, with Adams' case being scrutinized before it goes to trial and subject to political pressure. It's up to the attorney general to consider it persecution. According to sources, it is a criminal case.
Officials believe this is one of three ways the mayor can avoid prison. The remaining two cases are current motions by Mr. Adams to have them dismissed or prevail at trial, the people said.
But Adams' Trump-sympathetic legal strategy seemed unrealistic to former Brooklyn federal prosecutor Duncan Levin.
“If that's his plan to escape charges, I would say it's pretty delusional,” Levin said.
“You're talking about a sympathetic person who could become attorney general under someone who hasn't yet been elected president. Obviously that's not a big goal in and of itself. So many things have to happen for a situation to happen.”
Additionally, Trump's Justice Department in the Southern District could order the case against Adams to be dropped, likely to face fierce opposition from existing Manhattan prosecutors who pride themselves on their independence from Washington.
Prosecutors in the office sometimes use the nickname “Sovereign District of New York” to describe the office's reputation for autonomy.
Dropping Adams' high-profile cases not only risks its reputation, but also makes it difficult for the office to recruit like-minded prosecutors.
This office is considered the most prestigious office in the country.
Adams and the Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
— Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy and Diana Glebova
