NYC Mayor Eric Adams returns to court as his lawyers seek to get bribery charge tossed

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams returned to court Friday as he seeks to fend off federal corruption charges while battling for his political future.

The Democrat is appearing at the 2 p.m. hearing in Manhattan federal court, where his lawyers are set to argue that a bribery charge — one of five counts against Adams — should be thrown out because it does not meet the federal standard of a crime.

The indictment, which also includes wire fraud and conspiracy charges, accuses Adams of accepting flight upgrades and other luxury travel perks valued at $100,000 along with illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals looking to buy his influence.

In exchange, prosecutors say, Adams performed political favors that benefited the Turkish government, including accelerating the opening of a consulate building deemed unsafe by fire inspectors.

Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges and vowed to remain in office as he mounts his legal defense.

U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho allotted the defense and prosecution each 20 minutes to argue the issue.

Late Thursday, Ho rejected Adams’ request for a hearing on the mayor’s claims that the government has been leaking information about the investigation to the news media. The judge ruled that Adams and his lawyers failed to substantiate those claims and, if any leaks occurred, that the government was to blame.

As for the bribery charge, Adams’ lawyers urged Ho in a memo last month to dismiss the “extraordinarily vague” allegation, saying it sought to criminalize “normal and perfectly lawful acts” that Adams undertook as Brooklyn borough president before he was elected mayor.

The years of flight upgrades and other perks he received were at most “classic gratuities,” which a recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings found were not covered by the bribery statute if they were given for past acts, according to the filing.

Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, responded that Adams actions were plainly criminal.

“It should be clear from the face of the indictment that there is nothing routine about a public official accepting over $100,000 in benefits from a foreign diplomat, which he took great pains to conceal — including by manufacturing fake paper trails to create the illusion of payment,” prosecutors wrote.

Ho is expected to hear arguments from each side on the motion to toss the charge. It’s unclear when he will issue his decision.

At a hearing last month, federal prosecutors indicated they may bring additional charges against Adams and indict others around him.

Several of Adams’ closest aides — including his police commissioner, schools chancellor and multiple deputy mayors — have resigned in recent months after federal investigators executed coordinated searches of their homes in early September.

Adams has maintained that he can continue to lead the city effectively while fighting the charges.

But his political future remains fraught and several opponents have announced plans to challenge him in next year’s mayoral primary.

Earlier this week, Adams raised eyebrows after repeatedly declining to criticize former President Donald Trump, refusing to say when he last spoke with the Republican nominee or whether he was angling for a pardon should Trump win reelection.