Federal prosecutors said they may bring additional charges against Mayor Eric Adams or others following his indictment last week on charges that he took illegal campaign contributions and bribes from foreign nationals.
Charges against Adams are possible, they said, and charges against other people are “quite likely.”
The news came as Adams made his second court appearance on Wednesday. The mayor was indicted last week on federal corruption charges, including fraud, bribery and soliciting illegal campaign donations. The indictment alleges Adams accepted extravagant travel perks from Turkish nationals in exchange for pressuring FDNY officials to allow a new Turkish consulate to open despite serious safety concerns, and for appointing a Turkish airline manager to his transition team.
Adams pleaded not guilty in court last week and has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Just days later, his attorneys filed papers asking a judge to drop the bribery charge, arguing that he accepted “gratuities” from the Turkish government, not bribes. The mayor’s lawyers also requested a hearing to investigate potential leaks of confidential information about the case to the press.
Adams was dressed in a navy suit and blue tie with a white pocket square. Although he cracked a smile while entering the courtroom on Wednesday, the mayor was otherwise stone-faced and quiet for most of the hourlong conference. He leaned over to confer with his attorney several times, but mostly stared straight ahead.
His attorney Alex Spiro repeatedly told Judge Dale Ho that he wants the case to be resolved quickly and before next year’s mayoral race intensifies.
“The people of the city of New York and the mayor want this trial done in March,” Spiro said.
He said Adams will need to collect signatures to get on the ballot before a spring deadline, which he said will be easier after Adams is cleared of wrongdoing.
“At the trial, we expect the mayor to be acquitted,” he said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Cordell Scotten requested a May trial date, following the timeline of the office’s case against Sen. Robert Menendez, who he noted was indicted a year ago. Menendez’s case also centered around allegations that he traded his power as a public official for bribes from businesspeople and foreign nationals. Menendez was convicted of corruption charges in July.
Conference gives sneak peek of what’s to come
Adams’ second court appearance provided a colorful preview of what to expect as the case proceeds — both in terms of legal strategy and tone.
Spiro was assertive. He called prosecutors’ case “flimsy,” accused them of misconduct and resisted any attempts to delay a trial. He repeated points again and again. He was sometimes curt, and his voice barely rose above a mumble as he answered the judge’s questions.
The prosecutor, on the other hand, was peppy as he spoke, offering a flood of information to Ho. Scotten outlined an extensive list of materials he expects the U.S. attorney’s office to turn over to Adams and his lawyers, which he said prosecutors have been gathering since the summer of 2021. That includes written communication between Adams and others involved in the case, schedules, bank and credit card records, and campaign finance forms. Scotten said prosecutors have records of ethics trainings Adams completed, and that they had also collected voice memos that people involved in the scheme sent one another in Turkish.
One major “wildcard” in terms of evidence, Scotten said, is Adams’ cellphone. The indictment explains that the mayor’s phone was locked when federal agents seized it last fall, days after the FBI raided the homes of a fundraiser and a staffer. Prosecutors say Adams told law enforcement that he had just changed his phone passcode and couldn’t remember the new one. Scotten said there’s technology available to unlock the phone, but it’s unclear how long it will take.
In addition to records, Scotten said he expects various witnesses to testify on the government’s behalf at trial. He said he anticipates a four-week trial, with three weeks for the prosecution.
Spiro said he doesn’t think the case will take nearly that long. He told the judge that he doesn’t expect the bribery portion of the case to “survive” his request for dismissal and that the campaign finance allegations only pertain to “some $10,000 of matching funds.”
The mayor is due back in court at the end of the month to discuss his requests to dismiss the bribery charge and investigate the source of leaks to the press. Prosecutors are scheduled to give the mayor their evidence by early December. In the meantime, Ho said he’ll consider when he thinks the trial should be.
This story has been updated with additional information.
