A witness lately testified earlier than the federal grand jury that indicted Mayor Adams on corruption expenses this fall, his legal professional revealed in a court docket submitting Tuesday — indicating the Turkey-related investigation into the mayor continues to be very lively.
The submitting from Alex Spiro, Adams’ lead protection legal professional, recognized the witness by initials. The initials have been redacted from the submitting, making the id of the witness unclear.
Spiro did write {that a} “credible source” informed him this previous Sunday that the New York Occasions has confirmed the id of the witness “who recently testified before the grand jury and the sum and substance of that witness’s testimony.” As of late Tuesday morning, The Occasions had not printed any story about new grand jury testimony within the Adams probe.
Mayor Eric Adams, proper, exterior Manhattan Federal Court docket together with his lawyer, Alex Spiro, after pleading not responsible on a number of corruption expenses on Sept. 27. (Barry Williams for New York Every day Information)
Although Manhattan Federal Court docket Decide Dale Ho already rejected a request from Spiro final month for an evidentiary listening to into his claims about unlawful grand jury leaks from prosecutors, Spiro says the decide ought to rethink in mild of the newest alleged disclosures.
Reiterating his previous request, Spiro wrote in his new submitting that Ho ought to sanction prosecutors over the alleged leaks “up to and including dismissal of the indictment.” He additionally wrote that the decide ought to put an indefinite pause on all grand jury proceedings till an evidentiary listening to could be held.
“To prevent further inevitable leaks, the Court should exercise its equitable powers and halt any further grand jury proceedings pending the hearing and resolution of this motion,” he wrote.
A spokesman fort the Manhattan U.S. legal professional’s workplace, which indicted Adams, didn’t instantly return a request for remark.
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams provides a thumbs up as he departs federal court docket in New York Metropolis on Oct. 2. (Photograph by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
The grand jury indicted Adams in September on 5 felony counts alleging he solicited bribes and unlawful marketing campaign money, principally from Turkish authorities operatives, in change for political favors. Adams has pleaded not responsible and is predicted to face trial in April — simply weeks earlier than he faces a number of challengers in June’s Democratic mayoral main.
Spiro’s newest submitting comes after prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. legal professional’s workplace stated in open court docket in October they have been “quite likely” to deliver a superseding indictment charging the mayor with extra crimes.
The revelation that the grand jury has heard extra testimony in current weeks suggests prosecutors are nonetheless pursuing new proof.
Manhattan feds wrote in a submitting Monday that Erden Arkan, a Turkish-born businessman referenced in Adams’ indictment as considered one of his co-conspirators, has knowledgeable them he plans to plead responsible to his position in funneling unlawful straw donations to the mayor’s 2021 marketing campaign on behalf of the Turkish authorities.
Arkan hasn’t returned requests for remark this week.
With Josephine Stratman
Initially Revealed: December 24, 2024 at 11:11 AM EST
