NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Mayor Eric Adams returns to a full schedule on Monday as his lawyers seek to get part of the case against him thrown out after he was indicted last week on federal corruption charges.
The mayor has a staff meeting with senior administration officials Monday morning, followed by an appearance at a Sanitation Department graduation. Later in the day, he'll make a public safety announcement from the Queens Museum and then deliver remarks at a church in Corona.
The mayor has so far vowed to remain in office and continue doing his job. It appears he's doing just that, as his attorneys urged a federal judge Monday to dismiss the bribery charge against him and accused "zealous prosecutors" of leveling an "extraordinarily vague allegation" that does not rise to the level of a federal crime.
Adams pleaded not guilty Friday to charges he accepted lavish travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for political favors that included pushing through the opening of a Turkish consulate building.
In a motion filed Monday, the mayor's attorneys described the bribery charge—one of five counts he faces—as meritless, arguing that "zealous prosecutors" had failed to show an explicit quid pro quo between Adams and Turkish officials. Rather, defense attorneys wrote, Adams was simply helping an important foreign nation cut through the city's red tape.
The attorneys claim the additional charges against Adams—that he solicited and accepted foreign donations and manipulated the city's matching funds program—are "equally meritless," alleging they stem from false claims "self-interested staffer with an axe to grind." The staffers' false claims, they wrote, would be revealed in the court of litigation.
Adams is looking to get back to business as usual after he made national headlines last week. Gracie Mansion was raided by federal agents early Thursday, hours before prosecutors unsealed the five-count indictment charging him with wire fraud, bribery, conspiracy and two counts of receiving campaign contributions from a foreign national.
Mayor Eric Adams exits Gracie Mansion on September 26, 2024.Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Speaking from the pulpit at churches in the Bronx and Staten Island over the weekend, Adams said he won't be distracted by his legal issues.
"I have turned on GPS—my God-positioning satellite," the mayor said from Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church in the Bronx on Sunday. "Sometimes you have to let go and let God."
Adams, 64, has so far weathered calls to resign. His future as mayor will likely depend on whether he can keep enough political support to keep fighting.
"God placed me in this moment and placed in my heart to continue to move this city forward," the mayor said. "And so, you hear the small number of loud people saying, 'Well he should step down.' No, I'm going to step up."
The mayor and his legal team are expected back in court Wednesday for a conference before U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho, who will preside over the case going forward.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
