NYC Mayor Eric Adams to go before judge today. Will charges be dropped?
A federal judge in New York will hold a hearing Wednesday for the U.S. Justice Department to explain its controversial motion to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams is accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions and free travel from Turkish officials and business leaders during his first mayoral campaign. Prosecutors say Adams, now running for re-election, returned the favors by expediting safety inspections at a consulate building and spiking a statement marking Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, according to the indictment.
Adams has pleaded not guilty and vehemently denied the charges he described as "sensational."
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former criminal lawyer for President Donald Trump, wrote that the Justice Department did not assess "the evidence or the legal theories" involved in the case. But he said the charges "restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime.'
Pressure mounts:NY Gov. Hochul under pressure to remove NYC Mayor Eric Adams from office
How is Trump's immigration crackdown a factor?
Adams has also been accused of cooperating with Trump's immigration crackdown, a reversal of longstanding city policy, in exchange for the charges against him being dropped. Lawyers for Adams have denied any improper conduct.
"We told the (Justice) Department that ending the case would lift a legal and practical burden that impeded Mayor Adams in his official duties," defense lawyer Alex Spiro wrote in a court filing on Monday. "What we never said or suggested to anyone was that Mayor Adams would do X in exchange for Y."
What will the New York governor do?
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul met Tuesday with New York City leaders to discuss the "path forward" amid increasing pressure on Hochul to remove Adams from office. The Rev. Al Sharpton, the longtime civil rights leader, said Hochul told him she would conduct more consultations and 'see what the judge decides."
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