Eric Adams' defense team is seeking a hearing over alleged leaks

Eric Adams' lawyers argue that federal prosecutors spent nearly a year leaking sensitive and sometimes confidential information about their criminal investigation into the New York mayor, jeopardizing both his chances for a fair trial and re-election.

“For nearly a year, the government has leaked grand jury materials and other sensitive information to the media to aggrandize itself, advance its investigation, and unfairly disadvantage the defendant, Mayor Eric Adams,” lead defense attorney Alex Spiro wrote in a new court filing.

Spiro of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is asking U.S. District Judge Dale Ho to hold a public evidentiary hearing on the matter.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment.

The filing alleges that the disclosures, mostly to The New York Times, were part of a coordinated and strategic effort by prosecutors to compel cooperation in crafting their case against Adams.

“The government's most obvious motivation for disclosing details of its investigation is to strengthen its case (and the public perception of that case) by marshalling support from potential government witnesses or motivating new potential witnesses to come forward with information,” the document says .

Depending on the outcome of the hearing, Spiro asked the judge to either dismiss the case or prohibit the use of any grand jury materials or other evidence “illegally obtained through leaks” in the trial.

Spiro also made it clear that the defense team would seek sanctions, the scope of which would be clearer after a hearing.

“While an evidentiary hearing will help the court assess the extent of the violation of Rule 6(e), identify the responsible parties and determine the appropriate remedies, it is already clear that some sanctions will be necessary to plug the leaks in the future,” the file reads. “Otherwise, the government will continue to use strategic media revelations to gain a tactical advantage in this case, including by tainting the jury pool, and to tarnish Mayor Adams’ reputation.”

The filing comes just a day after Adams' defense team dismissed bribery charges against her client and just four days after the corruption charge was dropped.

U.S. Attorney Damien Williams announced Thursday that Adams was charged with bribery, receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals, wire fraud, soliciting contributions from foreign nationals and bribery. Adams pleaded not guilty to all counts Friday.

The mayor is due back in court on Wednesday before Ho. Spiro has said he plans to file a full motion to dismiss before this hearing.

Monday's statement attacks the “extraordinarily vague” bribery allegations against Adams as deficient in the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Snyder v. United States.

Prosecutors have alleged that Adams offered his influence in exchange for gifts and perks, including discounted luxury trips and accommodations worth tens of thousands of dollars from Turkish Airlines.

In return, Adams is said to have pushed through the opening of a Turkish consulate building in New York City, even though it had failed a fire inspection.

Prosecutors who filed the lawsuit have nothing to support that claim other than “three innocuous text messages” that Adams allegedly sent to a New York City fire commissioner.

These messages “fall far short of the type of 'official action' required for bribery,” the filing says.

Prosecutors have also accused Adams of participating in a straw donor scheme to steal matching campaign funds from the city.

The defense calls these accusations “equally baseless because they are based on a multitude of false allegations that are clearly attributable to a self-serving employee with a bone to pick.”

In addition to Spiro, Adams is represented by Quinn Emanuel partners William Burck, Avi Perry and John F. Bash.

Court records show his criminal costs will be paid by a legal defense fund set up last year.