New York City Mayor Eric Adams accepted "courtesies" and "gratuities" from Turkish officials – not bribes – his lawyer claimed during a press conference Monday, the same day he filed a motion to have the charges dismissed.
Adams pleaded not guilty last week to five criminal counts, including bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, the Associated Press reported.
According to the scathing, 57-page indictment filed by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District in New York and reviewed by the Lawyer Herald, prosecutors allege Adams accepted lavish gifts – such as luxury hotel stays and fancy flight accommodations – as well as illegal campaign contributions in exchange for favors, including the rush of the opening of New York City's Turkish consulate building by pressuring fire officials to speed up their fire safety inspection.
Speaking to reporters from his Manhattan law firm this week, Adams' attorney Alex Spiro said he felt compelled to clear up the allegations.
"This is not sufficient for federal criminal liability," he explained while going through a slideshow, according to Politico. "There is no contemporary exchange of this for that."
"Courtesies to politicians are not federal crimes. ... Congressmen get upgrades," Spiro said. "They get corner suites. They get better tables at restaurants. They get free appetizers. They have their iced tea filled up."
Spiro argued the allegations failed to meet the conditions for bribery charges to stick, and therefore, should be dropped.
"After [the bribery count] falls away, the matching donations issue falls away, and without a crime, so does a conspiracy," Spiro said. "And that's where this will end."
Adams was elected as mayor three years ago.
His indictment marks the first time a sitting New York City mayor has been formally accused of a crime.
Earlier this month, Adams denied any "wrongdoing or misgivings" following a series of FBI raids targeting several of his top aides.
