Turley Suggests DOJ’s Case Against Eric Adams Is Weak

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley stated on Friday that New York City Mayor Eric Adams has several potential defenses to counter the fraud and bribery charges outlined in a federal indictment.

The Southern District of New York released a 57-page indictment accusing Adams of “seeking and accepting improper valuable benefits” from wealthy foreign nationals, including a Turkish government official, during his tenure as Brooklyn Borough president and while running for mayor. Turley argued on “Fox & Friends” that the charges appear less substantial upon review.

Jonathan Turley Says There Is ‘Less Than Meets The Eye’ In Federal Indictment Against Eric Adamshttps://t.co/f6n1BWN9UC

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“There is certainly less than meets the eye once you begin to look at these charges,” Turley remarked. “For instance, they claim there was a quid pro quo where the mayor expedited a fire inspection approval for a Turkish consulate. However, it can be argued that this is part of a mayor’s duties in a city with many diplomats, where avoiding diplomatic issues is a priority, especially with the arrival of a country’s president. So, there are defenses against the idea of a quid pro quo here.”

🚨 TRUMP: “I saw Eric Adams (NYC Mayor) speaking about illegal migrants hurting our city. I said ‘Watch, he’ll be indicted within a year.’ I was exactly right.”pic.twitter.com/2F6x27p1WR

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The indictment alleges that while Adams was Brooklyn Borough president, he pressured the New York City Fire Department to fast-track approval for a Turkish consular building’s construction without a fire inspection in exchange for free or discounted travel to international destinations from Turkish nationals.

The document also claims a Turkish official provided Adams with straw donations for his mayoral campaign.

According to the indictment, Adams reportedly did not disclose these travel benefits in his annual financial filings.

“The most damaging allegation likely involves the solicitation of foreign contributions, though it remains to be seen how much Adams knew about the $100,000 upgrades to his hotels, which certainly don’t reflect well on him,” Turley continued. “The larger issue Adams may face is the aggressive stance taken by the U.S. Attorney’s office, which has warned his associates to cooperate as more indictments may be forthcoming. Those witnesses could be very damaging before a jury.”

Adams faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and accepting foreign campaign contributions, alongside one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting contributions from foreign nationals, and one count of bribery.

On Thursday, Adams suggested that the indictment was a form of retaliation by President Joe Biden’s administration in response to his criticism of their “broken immigration policies.”