By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-04 10:12:43 | Updated at 2024-10-18 20:25:05
2 weeks ago
New York City Mayor Eric Adams could face additional charges in his federal corruption case and it is 'likely' there will be more defendants, a federal prosecutor said.
Federal prosecutor Hagan Scotten said there was evidence that Adams, 64, attempted to tamper with a witness in the investigation with Scotten claiming that after FBI agents contacted one witness, the individual was given 'a clear message from the defendant' that they should not be truthful to the FBI.
Scotten branded it a 'significant instance of witness interference in this case'.
The prosecutor also revealed in the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse Wednesday that access to the mayor's cell phone has been unattainable after they obtained it almost a year ago in November 2023.
Adams had changed the password after learning of the investigation, beofre telling authorities he had forgotten the new one, according to the indictment.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams exits the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse after making the first appearance in his corruption case on October 2
Adams has been charged with five offenses: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, wire fraud, and bribery
Defense attorney Alex Spiro (center) and Adams (bottom right) attend a court appearance in federal court. Judge Dale Ho (left) said a speedy trial was in the public and mayor's interest but he did not set a trial date
The additional defendants could be charged in a superseding indictment or in a separate case, Scotten added.
Adams is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals.
He is also accused of defrauding NYC taxpayers of $10million through allegedly fraudulent campaign funds.
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment last week and has claimed he has done nothing wrong.
He was arraigned in Manhattan Federal Court on Friday as the first New York City mayor to be indicted while in office.
'I'm not guilty, your honor,' he told Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker when asked how he pleaded to the five federal charges.
While Judge Dale Ho said a speedy trial was in the public and mayor's interest, he did not set a trial date.
Adam's next hearing is scheduled for November 1 for arguments over the mayor's attempts at dismissing the bribery charge and looking into whether prosecutors leaked information regarding the investigation to the media.
Defense attorney Alex Spiro requested that they wanted the trial to reach an end by March 2025 because of the certification process for next year's mayoral election - hinting that Adam's has not yet been ruled out of running for reelection.
Last week, Sprio told the public followig Adams' hearing that there 'are no emails, text messages or any corroboration whatsoever that the mayor knew about anything to do with these campaign donations'.
'The entire body of evidence is one staffer who says there is a conversation. What you have not learned is that staffer has lied and the government is in possession of that lie.
'When that staffer was first interviewed, that staffer said Mayor Adams knew nothing about this, he was not involved in this and he’s innocent.
'They have that information, they have not turned it over to us and they have not turned it over to you'.
Spiro alluded to Adams' claim that he was targeted by the feds because he spoke out against the Biden Administration's handling of the migrant crisis.
'Why are they doing this? Why are they targeting him?' he said.
Adams pleaded not guilty on September 27 to charges of fraud and bribery in a case that marks a stunning downfall for a man once touted as a future Democratic Party star
According to the indictment, Adams' relationship with Turkish officials saw him accept a number of luxurious gifts, including stays in lavish Istanbul hotels
According to prosecutors, Eric Adams accepted an array of luxury gifts and amenities from foreign governments who hoped to buy influence with him
'They implied he’s disappointing people or people should be disappointed in him. It's not him doing this, it's the government - the other government - that everybody should be disappointed in, bringing this case against a sitting mayor.'
Scotten on Wednesday suggested using former Democratic Senator Bob Menendez's bribery case as a baseline to work out a schedule for the trial - proposing they begin in May.
Separately, the federal prosecutor said they had not yet received the full response from City Hall to subpoenas issued in July, which had requested information about the mayor's conact with other foreign governments including Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Sprio Wednesday revealed they hadn't finished handing over records and documents in response to the subpoena, but he claimed prosecutors were now viewing all of Adams' interactions with immigrant communities as 'suspicious.
The NYC mayor allegedly took advantage of the city's system of matching campaign contributions with tax dollars, and 'fraudulently obtained as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution', the indictment alleged.
He was allegedly 'relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding.'
'As a result of those false certifications, Adam's 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10,000,000 in public funds', prosecutors said on Thursday.
According to the indictment, Adams' relationship with Turkish officials saw him accept a number of luxurious gifts, including stays in lavish Istanbul hotels.
Adams allegedly pressured the FDNY to open a Turkish government-owned high rise in Manhattan in exchange for 'luxury travel benefits' - despite the building failing safety inspections.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams alleged Adams 'took corrupt official action in exchange for some of the luxury travel benefits'.
He alleged there were 'significant time pressures' to open the building in time for a visit from Turkey's president, at the urging of a Turkish official.
According to prosecutors, Adams accepted an array of luxury gifts and amenities from foreign governments who hoped to buy influence with him.
This included free trips, hotel suites and airline upgrades valued at over $100,000.
For example, he allegedly accepted free business class upgrades with companions for flights from New York to France, Turkey, Sri Lank and China in July 2017.
