New York, Nov 2 (AP) New York City Mayor Eric Adams returned to court Friday, sitting stoically as his lawyers fought to eliminate a key charge in the federal corruption indictment that threatens his political future. The Democrat is fighting to throw out a bribery charge, one of five counts in a case that U.S.
District Judge Dale E. Ho said will go to trial April 21, 2025, in the thick of Adams' promised reelection campaign. Also Read | Google Pixel Banned in Indonesia: After Apple iPhone 16 Ban, Authorities Prohibit Sale of Google's Phones for Failing To Meet 40% Locally Sourced Component Requirement.
The mayor's lawyers argued at a Manhattan federal court hearing that the bribery charge doesn't meet the federal standard of a crime and is “insufficiently specific,” particularly after recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions redefined how it is prosecuted.
“The prosecutor for the United States had trouble defining what the quo' is here,” Adams' lawyer John Bash argued, referring to the concept of a “quid pro quo,” a Latin phrase that essentially means “something for something.” Also Read | Florida Mass Shooting: 2 Killed, 6 Injured As Gunman Opens Fire at Public Halloween Celebrations in Orlando (Watch Videos). Prosecutors countered that Adams' lawyers were splitting hairs because, they allege, Adams was taking bribes and exerting influence while holding a prior elected office and as he anticipated becoming mayor.
Ho said he would take the arguments “under advis.
