A lawyer for New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday asked the judge handling his federal corruption case to hurry up and decide if he’s going to toss the charges, arguing that the embattled mayor needs to turn his attention to running for reelection.
In a letter to Judge Dale E. Ho, Adams’ attorney Alex Spiro requested for Ho to issue a ruling in the case “as soon as practicable,” noting that petitions to get on the city’s Democratic primary election ballot are due “just days away” on Thursday.
Adams hasn’t done much publicly to set up a formal campaign apparatus, but the Democrat has repeatedly insisted that he is running for a second term as mayor. A cast of Democratic challengers are mounting serious campaigns ahead of the primary election in June.
The mayor was charged last year with conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery following allegations that he accepted illegal campaign contributions and travel perks from people, including a Turkish official, seeking to buy influence while he was Brooklyn borough president.
Adams pleaded not guilty and was set for a to go on trial in April.
But in February, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department moved to drop the case, arguing that the charges were filed too close to Adams’ reelection campaign and would interfere with the mayor assisting with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. The Justice Department also left open the option to refile the case after the mayoral election in November.
In response to the extraordinary move from the Justice Department, Ho canceled the trial and brought in an outside lawyer to provide neutral advice on the case. The court-appointed attorney issued recommendations in early March for Ho to grant the Justice Department’s unusual request to dismiss the case. The recommendations included one saying that federal prosecutors should also be barred from reviving the charges.
Spiro, in his Monday letter to the judge, noted that Ho himself has said it is in the best interest for the case to conclude quickly given the mayor’s political calendar.
“We urge the court consistent with its own comments to promptly reach a decision in this matter,” Spiro wrote.
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Izaguirre reported from Albany, NY.
