Prosecutors Indicate Additional Charges Against Eric Adams Are ‘Possible’; Other Individuals ‘Likely’ to Face Charges
The mayor of New York City made an appearance in federal court on Wednesday morning in relation to his corruption case.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams might face additional charges in his federal corruption case, according to prosecutors' statements to a judge on Wednesday morning.
Hagan Scotten, a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, informed Judge Dale Ho that it is "possible" a superseding indictment could be filed in this case. He also noted that it is “likely” more defendants will be charged.
In response, Alex Spiro, the mayor’s private attorney, requested that the trial wrap up by March — three months ahead of Adams’ upcoming reelection ballot.
Following the court proceedings, Spiro released a statement addressing the prosecution's remarks regarding potential new charges against Adams. “The prosecution is desperately now saying they ‘could’ bring a new case because they are suddenly facing dismissal of their actual, flawed case and sanctions for misconduct,” he asserted. “This is the sort of nonsense that prosecutors say when they don’t have a real case. If they had a real case, they would have brought it.”
The hearing at the Manhattan courthouse was the first since the Democratic mayor pleaded not guilty to bribery and fraud charges last Friday.
Prosecutors had unveiled the details of a five-count indictment against Adams the previous week. In September, federal investigators conducted raids on the homes of several of the mayor's top advisers, nearly a year after they confronted him on the street and seized his electronic devices.
Recently, several high-profile officials in Adams’ administration, including the schools chancellor, police commissioner, chief city attorney, and senior adviser, have either resigned or been removed from their positions.
The mayor is accused of accepting upgraded travel benefits in exchange for facilitating a fire inspection at the Turkish Consulate building in Manhattan, along with accepting foreign campaign contributions allegedly funneled through straw donors.
Since the investigation began, various federal inquiries involving Adams’ advisers have come to light. One seems focused on the former NYPD commissioner and his twin brother, another on the schools chancellor and his siblings — a deputy mayor for public safety and an external consultant — while a third concerns Adams' Asian-American affairs adviser.
Throughout the court session, Spiro often seized opportunities to confront the government in front of the judge. “It’s a tell they have a weak case,” he remarked while objecting to the government’s detailed account of evidence intended for discovery.
He criticized the government for executing a “fake raid on Gracie Mansion” on the same day the indictment was revealed, suggesting it was an attempt by prosecutors to create drama around the case.
During the hearing, Adams appeared serious but at ease. As he exited the courtroom, he greeted a supporter with a handshake.
Outside the courthouse, a group of protesters demanded his resignation. Adams did not respond to questions and quickly made his way to an unmarked vehicle headed to a scheduled press event nearby.
The court proceedings mainly focused on scheduling and trial logistics, with the government emphasizing that Adams “used his official position to obtain improper gifts.” They also disclosed additional text messages showing that Adams allegedly directed others to mislead authorities during the investigation.
“They should not tell the truth to the FBI,” Scotten claimed, citing a message attributed to Adams.
The exchange between Scotten and Spiro intensified as they debated the duration of the discovery process. Scotten provided insights into the contents of the phone that federal agents seized from Adams — the same phone the mayor claimed he forgot the password to.
Scotten expressed uncertainty regarding how long it might take federal authorities to access the phone, which could impact the discovery timeline. He assured, however, that the federal government possesses the capability to access the device's information. “We will get access to it at some point,” he declared, referring to the locked phone as the “wild card” of the case.
Prosecutors outlined their intent to introduce extensive evidence, which would include texts, phone and bank records, Turkish-language communications, voice messages, calendars, messages from the encrypted messaging app Signal, Turkish Airline documentation, as well as records detailing the ethics training that Adams received and other pertinent materials collected since the investigation began in the summer of 2021.
Amid these discussions, Spiro urged Judge Ho for an expedited trial date; however, the government sought a longer timeline. “We have every right — the public has a right — to a speedy trial,” he argued. “We do not want this case dragging, and there’s no reason for it to drag."
The judge postponed setting a definitive timeline for the trial. However, a hearing is scheduled for November 1 to address Spiro’s motions: one to dismiss the primary charge and another requesting an investigation into leaks from the government regarding the case.
Spiro's request for the trial to conclude by March came from the desire for it not to overshadow Adams’ campaign efforts to gather signatures for the ballot.
As he left the courthouse, Adams did not respond to shouted questions.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
Hagan Scotten, a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, informed Judge Dale Ho that it is "possible" a superseding indictment could be filed in this case. He also noted that it is “likely” more defendants will be charged.
In response, Alex Spiro, the mayor’s private attorney, requested that the trial wrap up by March — three months ahead of Adams’ upcoming reelection ballot.
Following the court proceedings, Spiro released a statement addressing the prosecution's remarks regarding potential new charges against Adams. “The prosecution is desperately now saying they ‘could’ bring a new case because they are suddenly facing dismissal of their actual, flawed case and sanctions for misconduct,” he asserted. “This is the sort of nonsense that prosecutors say when they don’t have a real case. If they had a real case, they would have brought it.”
The hearing at the Manhattan courthouse was the first since the Democratic mayor pleaded not guilty to bribery and fraud charges last Friday.
Prosecutors had unveiled the details of a five-count indictment against Adams the previous week. In September, federal investigators conducted raids on the homes of several of the mayor's top advisers, nearly a year after they confronted him on the street and seized his electronic devices.
Recently, several high-profile officials in Adams’ administration, including the schools chancellor, police commissioner, chief city attorney, and senior adviser, have either resigned or been removed from their positions.
The mayor is accused of accepting upgraded travel benefits in exchange for facilitating a fire inspection at the Turkish Consulate building in Manhattan, along with accepting foreign campaign contributions allegedly funneled through straw donors.
Since the investigation began, various federal inquiries involving Adams’ advisers have come to light. One seems focused on the former NYPD commissioner and his twin brother, another on the schools chancellor and his siblings — a deputy mayor for public safety and an external consultant — while a third concerns Adams' Asian-American affairs adviser.
Throughout the court session, Spiro often seized opportunities to confront the government in front of the judge. “It’s a tell they have a weak case,” he remarked while objecting to the government’s detailed account of evidence intended for discovery.
He criticized the government for executing a “fake raid on Gracie Mansion” on the same day the indictment was revealed, suggesting it was an attempt by prosecutors to create drama around the case.
During the hearing, Adams appeared serious but at ease. As he exited the courtroom, he greeted a supporter with a handshake.
Outside the courthouse, a group of protesters demanded his resignation. Adams did not respond to questions and quickly made his way to an unmarked vehicle headed to a scheduled press event nearby.
The court proceedings mainly focused on scheduling and trial logistics, with the government emphasizing that Adams “used his official position to obtain improper gifts.” They also disclosed additional text messages showing that Adams allegedly directed others to mislead authorities during the investigation.
“They should not tell the truth to the FBI,” Scotten claimed, citing a message attributed to Adams.
The exchange between Scotten and Spiro intensified as they debated the duration of the discovery process. Scotten provided insights into the contents of the phone that federal agents seized from Adams — the same phone the mayor claimed he forgot the password to.
Scotten expressed uncertainty regarding how long it might take federal authorities to access the phone, which could impact the discovery timeline. He assured, however, that the federal government possesses the capability to access the device's information. “We will get access to it at some point,” he declared, referring to the locked phone as the “wild card” of the case.
Prosecutors outlined their intent to introduce extensive evidence, which would include texts, phone and bank records, Turkish-language communications, voice messages, calendars, messages from the encrypted messaging app Signal, Turkish Airline documentation, as well as records detailing the ethics training that Adams received and other pertinent materials collected since the investigation began in the summer of 2021.
Amid these discussions, Spiro urged Judge Ho for an expedited trial date; however, the government sought a longer timeline. “We have every right — the public has a right — to a speedy trial,” he argued. “We do not want this case dragging, and there’s no reason for it to drag."
The judge postponed setting a definitive timeline for the trial. However, a hearing is scheduled for November 1 to address Spiro’s motions: one to dismiss the primary charge and another requesting an investigation into leaks from the government regarding the case.
Spiro's request for the trial to conclude by March came from the desire for it not to overshadow Adams’ campaign efforts to gather signatures for the ballot.
As he left the courthouse, Adams did not respond to shouted questions.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
