by - Eric Adams appeared in federal court Friday for his criminal arraignment.
- New York’s mayor has entered a not guilty plea to the bribery and fraud charges against him.
- His attorney, Alex Spiro, said he will file a motion to dismiss the case on Wednesday.
New York Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty to his sweeping bribery indictment after reading the charges at length during his arraignment in a federal courtroom in Manhattan.
“I am not guilty, your honor,” Adams told the judge.
His attorney, Alex Spiro, said he would move quickly to ask a judge to dismiss the case.
He said in court that he plans to file a motion Wednesday to dismiss the 57-page indictment — a step that normally takes months.
“We expect these charges will be dismissed,” Spiro told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing, accusing prosecutors of using a “shaky theory” for the case.
Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have accused Adams of participating in a years-long scheme in which he accepted bribes, including luxury travel benefits, from the Turkish government.
In return, prosecutors said Adams pushed city officials to approve plans for the Turkish House, a 36-story tower near the United Nations that houses the Turkish consulate and other diplomatic functions.
Adams has denied wrongdoing. Dressed in a dark blue suit, a patterned maroon tie and a somber expression on his face, he entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker shortly after noon.
Adams was not required to post bail and is allowed to remain out of jail on the condition that he has no contact with the people named in the indictment.
Prosecutor Celia Cohen said in court that she would work with Spiro to reach an agreement that would limit the mayor’s contact with City Hall staff and family members.
Adams would not have contact with certain staffers “concerning the facts and circumstances of the indictment” or outside of “routine matters,” Parker told attorneys.
The hearing took place in a freezing courtroom on the 26th floor of the courthouse, packed with journalists.
It was the same room where Sean “Diddy” Combs — who Adams gave a “key to the city” in September 2023 — was indicted last week on his own set of criminal charges.
Adams is represented in his criminal case by Spiro, Elon Musk’s regular lawyer, who also recently won the acquittal for Alec Baldwin in a criminal case over the filming of the film set “Rust”.
After Friday’s hearing, Adams and Spiro stood outside the courthouse and spoke to members of the press. Adams gave a thumbs up to a man who shouted, “I love you!”
Turns out the man was hosting a comedy show and had asked reporters if they were polyamorous in the moments before the mayor appeared outside.
Spiro compared the charges against Adams to a criminal corruption indictment against Brian Benjamin, who had served as lieutenant governor of New York state.
A district court judge dismissed the charges in 2022 before they went to trial, ruling that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to prove their case. But an appeals court reinstated the charges earlier this year.
Spiro also placed blame on one of Adams’ staffers, who is extensively discussed in the 57-page indictment.
He said the staffer “lied” and acted independently while trying to obtain favors from the Turkish government.
“There are no emails, text messages or any evidence that the mayor had anything to do with these donations,” Spiro said.
Since the indictment, the number of Democrats calling for Adams’ resignation has increased.
The mayor’s trial will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, a former top elections lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union who was nominated by President Joe Biden.
Ho joined the court a year ago and a trial against Adams would be his first high-profile case as a judge.
This story has been updated to include details of the arraignment and news conference and to correct the spelling of U.S. Magistrate Katharine Parker’s first name.