NYC Mayor Adams back in court for key appearance in sweeping federal corruption case

Mayor Adams arrived astatine Manhattan national tribunal Wednesday — a week since learning of his indictment — for his archetypal quality earlier the justice overseeing his corruption and bribery case.

Adams arrived a fewer minutes aboriginal joined by his ineligible squad and information item for his 10:30 a.m. quality before Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho.

The mayor, who has defiantly rebuffed calls to resign, has pleaded not blameworthy to conspiracy, bribery, ligament fraud, and 2 counts of soliciting run donations from overseas nationals, charges that unneurotic transportation a maximum of 45 years successful prison. 

Judge Ho has yet to conscionable the suspect but has already received a drawstring of requests from his ineligible squad seeking to erode the case. 

On Monday, Adams asked Ho to dismiss a bribery count successful the indictment, and connected Tuesday, his lawyers requested sanctions against prosecutors for allegedly leaking to the media. His pb attorney, Alex Spiro, said helium intended to record a afloat dismissal question connected Wednesday.

Mayor Eric Adams extracurricular Manhattan Federal tribunal connected Friday. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s bureau alleges Adams allowed himself to beryllium bought by the Turkish authorities and affluent businessmen for astir a decade, starting erstwhile helium was Brooklyn borough president. 

He’s accused of accepting much than $100,000 worthy of concern people aerial question to countries including Turkey, Ghana, France, and India, luxury edifice stays, meals, and transport, and amerciable run contributions from Turkish nationals funneled done U.S. donors. 

Adams squeezed the concealed Turkish donations for much currency done the metropolis Campaign Finance Board’s matching nationalist funds programme and included them successful a tainted cookware of $10 cardinal successful contributions falsely certified arsenic legally raised successful 2021, prosecutors allege. 

In exchange, helium threw his value astir for his benefactors, the feds say, promoting Turkish authorities and concern interests successful the city, including pressuring FDNY officials to bypass information checks to hurriedly unfastened Turkey’s 36-story consulate by the U.N. successful clip for the president’s visit.

Mayor Eric Adams (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News)

In his bid to flip the bribery count, Adams’ lawyer cited a caller Supreme Court determination that loosened up nationalist corruption laws by uncovering it amerciable for officials to judge bribes earlier taking enactment but OK to judge “gratuities” aft the fact. 

Spiro said the luxury question benefits the politician received were equivalent to gratuities and described his engagement successful the consulate’s opening arsenic “normal and perfectly lawful.” He threw Adams’ Turkish liaison-turned-government informant, Rana Abbasova, nether the autobus successful different portion of Monday’s filing, claiming the lawsuit is based connected her lies.

Abbasova is among astatine slightest a twelve elder Adams staffers, past and current, enveloped successful swirling transgression investigations into his bureau by authorities and national prosecutors, starring to a dependable drumbeat of high-profile resignations successful caller weeks. On Monday, his embattled elder adviser, Tim Pearson, became the latest to manus successful his resignation letter.