A former federal prosecutor who led the last ouster of a big-city mayor on corruption charges says Big Apple boss Eric Adams is following an aggressive defense strategy he adopted from former President Donald Trump. Must have learned.
Mark Chutko, a former federal prosecutor who led the public corruption case against former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick a decade ago, said, “It appears that the Adams defense team is learning from the former president that the best case against the government How to drive.” “In other words, your best defense is often offensive attack.”
Although Trump’s New York trial took place in state court, prosecuted by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, not the US Justice Department, there was a strong perception that the charges were politically motivated. And critics have raised similar concerns about the investigation by the special counsel jack smith,
Chutko pointed to a pair of defense motions that he said were filed “very rapidly” — the mayor’s motion to dismiss the bribery charge against him and a series of Justice Department leaks. A motion requesting the court to investigate, which the defense says caused harm to Adams. Compromises his public image and his right to a fair trial.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives in federal court after being charged with bribery and illegally soliciting campaign contributions from a foreign national on October 2, 2024 in New York City. (Reuters/Caitlin Ochs)
“I think how quickly the defense filed a motion to dismiss, and that the motion is related to the leaks, shows that not only are they being very aggressive in their defense, but they are also trying to keep the public informed about the case. Opinions are going to be shaped almost the way you would in a political campaign,” he told Fox News Digital. “They’re looking at who defines the narrative.”
Adams, a moderate Democrat, has accused the Justice Department of going after her and people in her class in retaliation for her criticism of the Biden-Harris administration on border security.
“Like Trump, Adams’s legal strategy is to deny and defend,” said Nema Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who runs a private practice in Los Angeles. “This is helpful for a candidate in the middle of an election, but there is more to it than public relations and political gain. By attacking the prosecution and putting them on their heels, it forces the government into a defensive position and delays the proceedings. “
Former President Donald Trump will appear in court for his hush money trial on May 30 in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. (Doug Mills/Pool via Reuters)
The defense benefits from delaying conflict, he said.
“Prosecutors have limited resources and rarely deal with defendants who have access to the best and brightest lawyers, like Trump and Adams,” he said.
The logic is that US Department of Justice The issue of punishing political opponents of the administration has been raised before – by Trump and his supporters. In addition to the cases against Trump, critics have questioned the aggressive prosecution of those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
Congress also has a House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which held a hearing in late September to explore the FBI’s claims. purging conservatives From its ranks.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office is prosecuting Adams, declined a political motive Regarding the case when he announced the indictment last week.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams speaks to reporters at a news briefing. His office secured an indictment against NYC Mayor Eric Adams. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)
“We are not focusing on the right or the left,” he said during a news briefing last month. “We are focused on right and wrong. This is our duty and we will fulfill it.”
But the government’s motive doesn’t really matter if a crime has been committed, said Chutko, a former federal prosecutor.
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“Either you committed a crime or you didn’t,” he told Fox News Digital. “It doesn’t matter why the government decided to prosecute you.”
But Adams’ campaign may be designed to influence the jury pool. All it takes is one sympathetic person on the panel to resolve the matter.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (R) stands with his lawyers as he appears in Wayne County Circuit Court for his sentencing on October 28, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick and dozens of associates were killed in the city’s biggest recent corruption scandal. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
“(Prosecutors) have to somehow defend against their actions,” Chutko said. “Most judges control it very tightly in the courtroom, but it’s more difficult to do that in the court of public opinion. That’s what you saw with the former president, where he or people who supported him made a lot of statements.” Press.”
He said Judge Juan Merchan in Trump’s case struggled to control his comments outside the court despite the gag order.
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“It’s hard when you’re dealing with a public official, because they have such first Amendment rights,” Chutko said. “The judge will always have to weigh the right to free speech against concerns about tainting the jury pool.”
If convicted of all charges, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison.
