Lawyers for Eric Adams asked a federal judge on Monday to throw out parts of the New York mayor's corruption case as Hizzoner pressured FDNY executives to expedite construction of the Turkish tower. He insisted that he had not accepted any bribes.
The hastily filed motion says the bribery charge, one of five criminal charges Adams faces, should be dismissed within a week after a federal grand jury handed down the bombshell statement. claims.
Adams' lawyers also called the rest of the case brought by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office “worthless” and criticized former employee Lana Abbasova, who is expected to be the federal government's key witness.
“Despite the fact that the indictment reproduces quotes from messages, emails, and conversations in many other respects, the specific interactions and conversations in which Adams and Turkish officials entered into this so-called quid pro quo arrangement '', his lawyers said. I wrote, At the same time, he pointed to recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that weakened anti-corruption laws.
Federal prosecutors say Adams, as the de facto next mayor, ordered the fire department to build a new 36-story Turkish consulate in September 2021 without a fire safety inspection in exchange for free or heavily discounted luxury travel perks. They allege that they pressured them to open the facility quickly.
The indictment includes messages between Mr. Adams and the then-FDNY chief, as well as information on luxury flight upgrades and stays in luxury hotel suites that Mr. Hizner received from Turkish supporters dating back to 2016. Contains details about.
The bribery charges, which the defense wants dismissed, allege that Adams accepted bribes for luxury trips in 2021 and 2022 instead of relying on the FDNY to force his way through Turkey House despite fire safety concerns. has been accused.
Adams is also accused of soliciting Turkish benefactors to funnel cash to his 2021 campaign through illegal “straw donations” and fraudulently obtaining $10 million in public campaign funds.
The first-term mayor denies wrongdoing and vows to fight the lawsuit. He has resisted growing calls for his resignation following the indictment.
The next hearing in the case has been assigned to District Judge Dale Ho and is scheduled for Wednesday.
Adams' lawyers, including high-profile lawyer Alex Spiro, said in court documents Monday that the U.S. attorney's office failed to outline that Adams specifically agreed to accept gifts in exchange for exercising government authority. He said the allegations were “vague.”
Adams' message to then-FDNY Secretary Daniel Nigro to help ensure the opening of Turkey Tower in time for the Turkish president's visit was merely an “innocuous” message. It does not fall under the so-called “official act” that is required. His lawyers argued that he would be prosecuted for bribery.
The motion argued that because Mr. Adams was only the borough president of Brooklyn at the time, he did not have the authority to order the FDNY to take action regarding the Manhattan building.
The former NYPD lieutenant won the Democratic primary for mayor several months ago and was expected to easily defeat Republican Curtis Sliwa in the November general election.
“The government effectively alleges that Mr. Adams used his potential future position as mayor, rather than the official position he actually held, to pressure officials,” the motion states. It's dark.
“There is no precedent to support the idea that a candidate has committed an official act by using potential future power to pressure officials to take some action.”
His lawyers also argued that claims that he received travel allowances during a trip to Ghana after the shiny skyscraper opened may simply amount to “tips,” which is a violation of bribery laws. argued that it was outside the scope of
The motion accuses prosecutors of seeking to criminalize “routine interactions between government officials” and argues that the indictment “replaces prudent ethical rules with the naked force of federal criminal law.”
Adams' lawyer called the remaining crimes “equally unfounded,” citing Abbasova, a former aide and Adams liaison, saying they were all “by a selfish employee with an ax to grind.” It was claimed that the charges stemmed from “false claims.” Turkish community.
Officials told the Post that Abbasova is cooperating with authorities and is a person of interest.
Adams' lawyers did not provide any evidence to support the allegations against her, simply claiming that “more will emerge during the course of litigation.”
