NYC Mayor wants his corruption trial moved up to focus on reelection

NEW YORK CITY, New York: New York City Mayor Eric Adams wants the court to move up his trial on corruption and bribery charges so he can concentrate on his reelection campaign this spring.

In a letter to the federal judge this week, Alex Spiro, attorney for Mayor Adams, requested that his trial start on April 1 instead of the currently scheduled April 23.

Adams, a Democrat, was indicted in September on charges of accepting luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official in exchange for political favors. He pleaded not guilty and said he would remain in office to contest the charges.

Adams is anticipated to face a competitive Democratic primary in June, with multiple challengers already announcing their intentions to run.

At a recent hearing, prosecutors indicated they would be ready for trial on any scheduled date. However, they were still reviewing large volumes of seized documents and had yet to access Adams' personal cellphone. The indictment claims Adams changed his phone password just before handing the device over to authorities, then stated he could no longer remember it.

In his letter, Spiro offered to waive access to certain discovery materials to expedite the trial. With the current schedule, he projected a verdict by late May, which would leave Adams little time to defend his reputation with voters ahead of the primary.