Potential further accusations of corruption could be levied against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to a federal prosecutor.
Prosecutor Hagan Scotten declared that Adams allegedly attempted to manipulate a testifier in the investigation. Scotten pointed out that following Federation Bureau of Investigation agents speaking with one witness, this individual received a "straight-up message from the defendant" to keep quiet with the FBI.
Scotten referred to it as "a considerable instance of witness impediment in this matter."
Defense attorney Alex Spiro expressed his view after the hearing, stating, "This is just the sort of nonsensical claims prosecutors spout when they don't have a solid case. If they had a solid case, they would have presented it."
Scotten also shared in court that prosecutors have been unable to access the mayor's mobile device they obtained in November. Adams changed the password upon learning about the investigation, then asserted that he forgot the new one, according to the accusation.
The federal prosecutor unveiled fresh details regarding the investigation, mentioning it started in the summer of 2021 prior to Adams becoming mayor.
Scotten implied that additional defendants might be charged in a subsequent indictment or in a separate case.
Adams is confronting five federal counts of extortion, corruption, wire fraud, and soliciting and accepting donations from foreign nationals. He affirmed his innocence at his arraignment last week.
Judge Dale Ho suggested that a prompt trial serves the public as well as the mayor's benefit, yet he was hesitant to set a court date.
The following hearing is tentatively scheduled for November 1 to discuss Adams' motion to decline the bribery charge and explore if prosecutors disseminated information about the investigation to media outlets.
Spiro conveyed that they wished for the trial to conclude by March due to the certification process for the upcoming mayoral election, hinting that the struggling mayor might consider running for reelection.
Scotten suggested using Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial as a reference to create a timeline. He proposed commencing the trial in May yet hinted that they're ready whenever it's confirmed.
Separately, Scotten mentioned that they hadn't yet received the full response from City Hall in response to the subpoenas issued in July. These subpoenas requested information regarding the mayor's connection with other foreign governments, including Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
Spiro conceded that they hadn't concluded delivering documents and records in response to the subpoena, however, he insinuated that prosecutors were considering all interactions with immigrant communities as "suspicious."
According to the indictment, Adams initially visited Turkey in 2015 and established "corrupt relationships." A senior Turkish diplomatic officer subsequently introduced him to a Turkish airline's general manager in the New York City region.
On three distinct trips – once in 2016 and twice the next year – federal authorities allege that Adams solicited and accepted free and substantially reduced travel from the airline "in the Turkish Official’s attempts to exert influence" over Adams.
Scotten mentioned during the hearing that Adams attempted to influence the testifier to keep quiet with the FBI, stating that this behavior was directed towards "us" (FBI agents and the witness). Later, Spiro argued that the prosecutor's claims were baseless without a solid case, implying that they were just targeting "us" (Adams and his defense team).
