The U.S. Department of Justice plans to request a federal judge to extend the deadline for releasing documents related to Mayor Eric Adams this coming Saturday.
These records are intended to provide insight into the internal workings of Adams’ prosecutors, with a deadline for their release set for 11:59 PM on Friday. However, it appears the DOJ has not adhered to the court order issued by Judge Dale Ho in Manhattan.
The DOJ indicated it seeks to transfer evidence and document caches for public examination by May 9th, citing the need for an extension to carefully review materials and edit any sensitive information that shouldn’t be disclosed.
Just last week, Judge Ho sided with various media outlets advocating for access to these documents, which notably includes a warrant related to seized mobile phones belonging to the mayor.
In April, the judge had dismissed a federal criminal case against Adams, emphasizing that it was crucial to prevent the previous administration from undermining the mayor’s authority.
Despite these developments, there seemed to be some tension between Judge Ho’s ruling and the DOJ’s actions, with the department attempting to pause the lawsuit temporarily while retaining the option to pursue it later.
Adams has been facing serious allegations, including bribery and fraud, with accusations that he accepted over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and received travel perks from individuals seeking to gain influence over him, including officials from Turkey.
Adams, for his part, has firmly denied any wrongdoing.
