Eric Adams accuses the government of leaking information to the press in the corruption case

Mayor Eric Adams and his defense accused the federal government of leaking “grand jury materials” to the media and smearing his case before his indictment was overturned.

In a new motion filed Tuesday, the New York mayor's lawyers called for a public evidentiary hearing to review what they describe as “ongoing leaks” of confidential information that are causing “significant consequences.”

Adams' attorney, Alex Spiro, pointed to a series of New York Times articles from last year that used anonymous sources that could only have come from government officials.

“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,” Spiro wrote in court documents obtained TheWrap is available.

Adams was charged with accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions of up to $10 million from foreign sources, according to the indictment unsealed Sept. 26. Before the document was officially unsealed, The New York Times published the news a day earlier, claiming that Adams and his campaign were colluding with the Turkish government to obtain illegal foreign donations.

The mayor's legal team said this leak, as well as several others over the past year, undermines the administration's arguments — “weak as they are,” Tuesday's filing said.

“For nearly a year, The New York Times and other media outlets have published articles detailing revelations of various categories of information covered by the grand jury secrecy rule. These leaks included the identities of witnesses scheduled to testify before the grand jury and characterizations of witness statements,” the filing states. Spiro also noted that the Times story was published before the mayor's attorney was informed of the charges.

If federal officials are found to have leaked confidential information to the press, it could lead to the judge dismissing the case, throwing out evidence or forcing officials and prosecutors to resign and not participate, Adams' lawyers argued.

The indictment alleges that Adams took advantage of the city's campaign finance program, which offers significant grants for small donations. His campaign secured more than $10,000 in matching funds through such false filings, the filings say.

He also “solicited and demanded” bribes, including free or deeply discounted perks on luxury travel, from a Turkish official who allegedly asked Adams for help to get around Manhattan consulate rules, the indictment says.

“Only three groups of people could have known that the indictment was being returned when it was released to the Times: the prosecution team, the jury and the court staff who processed the then-sealed indictment,” Tuesday's filing said. “But only the prosecution team knew about this, and the government planned to reveal more details the next day (as it did in a self-praising press conference). It is therefore clear that the public prosecutor’s office is responsible for the leak.”

In a news conference Monday, Spiro said the mayor's seat upgrades, free meals and free hotel rooms were not bribes but rather “favors to politicians.” The lawyer initially insisted that Adams did not have to reveal who paid for his personal trips, despite facing pushback from journalists in the press room. Spiro then argued that he was “not an expert” on these laws.

Adams has denied the allegations and made it clear that he has no intention of stepping down from his position despite increasing calls for his resignation. He still pleads not guilty to the charges against him.