Adams' lawyers accuse prosecutors of leaking information

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his lawyers are accusing the government of prematurely leaking grand jury materials related to his federal indictment on corruption charges to the New York Times, CNN and other media outlets, according to a filing Tuesday.

“The prejudice from these leaks was severe. “A cascade of critical articles based on one-sided, misleading government information undermined public support for the mayor long before he was ever charged with a crime and could defend himself in court,” Adams' lawyers wrote.

His legal team claims that classified information, including subpoenas, FBI searches and seizures related to Adams' criminal complaints, was found in published articles dating back to 2023.

They cite the Times' complicated coverage of sealed warrants; a description of the items seized by Brianna Suggs, an Adams 2021 campaign staffer; and knowledge of witness statements against the mayor as grounds for termination.

“The government’s leaks intentionally created a façade of guilt, resulting in intense, negative scrutiny of Mayor Adams and his administration,” the filing says. “And by releasing information to the press, the government violated the mayor’s right to a flawless grand jury process and impaired his ability to receive a fair trial from an impartial jury.”

Adams' attorney reportedly alerted the government to the revelations on June 7 and August 13, to no avail. He claimed they had received no response to the letters they submitted, adding they had been “completely ignored”.

“The government completely ignored both letters. In a telephone call with the Attorney General's Office on August 20, 2024, Mayor Adams' attorney again raised the issue of the grand jury leaks, noting that the government had still not responded to the letters and requests for an investigation. “The government once again summarily dismissed the concerns,” the lawyers wrote.

They later added: “The reality is that the ultimate contours of the grand jury's indictment, as well as the sources from which the grand jury obtained evidence, were available to the public and prospective jurors long before the indictment itself and long before that.” Mayor Adams had the opportunity to defend himself in court.”

That filing came just a day after his lawyers asked a federal judge to drop “extraordinarily vague” bribery charges against him. Following the allegations, several leaders called on Adams to resign, although he showed no signs of resigning.

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