


A federal judge denied New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s bid to dismiss a bribery charge from his five-count indictment Tuesday.
The charge in question alleges that the Democratic mayor was provided luxury travel benefits by a Turkish official in exchange for a favorable building inspection. U.S. District Judge Dale Ho denied the motion by Adams’s lawyers after they cited a June Supreme Court decision in favor of a former Indiana mayor who was charged with corruption.
Adams’s lawyers argued that his actions, approaching the fire department commissioner about a safety inspection of a Turkish-owned building, was no quid pro quo, but Ho disagreed.
“Ultimately, whether or not Adams used his official position as Brooklyn Borough President to exert pressure on the FDNY is a factual question for a jury to resolve,” Ho wrote in his ruling.
With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in a month, Adams has been appealing to the man who will have the power to pardon him. Most recently, he suggested the president-elect is a “great patriot,” despite previously accusing him of being a racist, among other criticisms.
Adams’s comment came after Trump said he would “certainly” consider pardoning the man who once called himself the “Biden of Brooklyn” on Monday.
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Adams refrained from launching major criticisms of Trump.
Trump and Adams, a former Republican, have apparent common ground on the matter of illegal immigration, as the New York City mayor has suggested his indictments are a result of political persecution due to his anti-illegal immigration stance. This resonates with Trump and his supporters as many feel he, too, is the victim of the political weaponization of the justice system.
Unless pardoned beforehand, Adams’s trial is set for April 2025.
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The Democratic mayor has been charged with accepting more than $90,000 worth of perks from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors. He has also been charged with two counts of solicitation of a campaign contribution from a foreign national, one count of wire fraud, and another count of wire fraud conspiracy.
Despite facing calls to resign following his indictment, Adams plans to pursue reelection. When asked if he would consider switching to the Republican Party earlier this month, Adams did not reject the notion. He instead responded, “I’m a part of the American party.”