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Federal judge says Mayor Eric Adams' bribery charge will stand
By
Samantha Max
Published Dec 17, 2024
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By
Samantha Max
Published Dec 17, 2024
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A federal judge denied Mayor Eric Adams’ request to dismiss the bribery charge in an indictment that accused him of trading his political influence for more than $100,000 worth of travel perks and illegal campaign contributions, according to a ruling issued on Tuesday.
The U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York alleges that in 2021, when Adams — who was the Brooklyn borough president at the time — was running for mayor, he pressured fire department officials to expedite the opening of a new Turkish consulate in exchange for flight upgrades on Turkish Airlines and lavish accommodations during his frequent trips to Istanbul. Prosecutors have also accused Adams of accepting illegal campaign donations from foreign nationals during his 2021 mayoral campaign.
U.S. attorney Damian Williams argued that these acts amounted to bribery, while defense lawyers said Adams accepted ‘gratuities,’ but not illegal ones. The mayor’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the bribery charge in September, just days after the five-count indictment was unsealed. Adams has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.
Judge Dale Ho said federal prosecutors made a convincing enough argument in their 57-page indictment to let the bribery charge stand, at least for now.
“Ultimately, whether or not Adams used his official position as Brooklyn borough president to exert pressure on the FDNY is a factual question for a jury to resolve,” Ho wrote in his ruling.
The mayor’s office and Adams’ attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office, declined to comment.
Tagged
Adams investigations
Politics
eric adams
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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