Federal prosecutors who indicted Mayor Adams on corruption charges last year allege they have uncovered “additional criminal conduct” that the mayor and others engaged in.
The prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office wrote in a court filing late Monday they unearthed evidence of the conduct as part of their “ongoing investigation” into the mayor’s ties to Turkey’s government.
The feds didn’t elaborate on what the conduct in question is or who the other individuals are.
The disclosure comes after the feds in October — days after first charging Adams with bribery and other crimes — said it was “quite likely” they would bring a superseding indictment and it was “possible” it could include additional counts against the mayor.
Since then, Adams’ defense attorney, Alex Spiro, has accused prosecutors of overplaying their hand, writing in a filing last month that the “incriminating evidence” they planned to base their superseding indictment on “does not exist.”
Monday’s filing from the prosecutors came in response to that claim from Spiro and indicates they are still pursuing a potential superseding indictment.
Spiro has also argued in court papers that the case against Adams is almost entirely based on testimony from Rana Abbasova, Adams’ ex-Turkish community liaison who is cooperating in the federal probe. The Adams lawyer has argued Abbasova is a disgruntled staffer with an ax to grind.
In Monday’s filing, the feds pushed back on that characterization.
“Despite Adams’s claim that the case against him is based on a particular purported witness, the affidavits generally rely on records rather than the witnesses, and do not rely on the individual he often discusses at all,” prosecutors wrote.
Punching back at the feds, Spiro on Tuesday slammed their contentions.
“This is amateur hour. They are just looking for a headline instead of doing the right thing,” Spiro wrote in an email to the Daily News. “I assume we are at the point where new Yorkers are not falling for it.”
In a press conference later in the day at City Hall, Adams reiterated he believes he’s innocent when asked about the latest submission from the feds.
“Even Ray Charles can see what’s going on … I’ve said over and over again, I have done nothing wrong,” he told reporters.
Monday’s move comes at a time of flux for the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office.
Former U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, who brought the case against Adams, stepped down last month after President-elect Donald Trump — who has publicly entertained pardoning the Democratic mayor for his alleged crimes — announced he plans to appoint corporate lawyer Jay Clayton to take over the reins at the prominent office.
The office is now being led by Edward Kim, who was deputy U.S. attorney under Williams.
Adams’ Sept. 26 indictment, which made him the first New York City mayor in modern history to face criminal charges, alleges he took bribes and illegal campaign cash, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for doling out political favors.
The favors allegedly include the mayor pressuring the FDNY to resolve fire safety issues at the Turkish consulate in Manhattan so the building could open in time for a visit by the country’s leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in fall 2021.
Adams has pleaded not guilty and is expected to stand trial in April.
Besides Adams, Mohamed Bahi, a former aide to the mayor at City Hall, was indicted in November on charges alleging he obstructed the investigation into the mayor. He’s in talks with the feds about a potential plea deal.
Just before Christmas, the feds also revealed Erden Arkan, a Brooklyn construction company executive, plans to plead guilty to funneling illegal straw donations into Adams’ 2021 campaign coffers on behalf of a Turkish government executive.
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