On Monday, Alex Spiro, the attorney for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, presented his case to a federal judge, asking for the dismissal of public corruption charges against Adams. He argued that the mayor’s actions do not fit the legal definition of bribery and that the evidence does not back up the additional charges.

Adams entered a not guilty plea on Friday regarding five federal charges, including allegations of taking bribes, committing wire fraud, and seeking unlawful campaign contributions from foreign citizens. He is facing pressure from within his party to step down.

During a press conference, Spiro explained that the upgrades to Adams’ travel with Turkish Airlines occurred while he was serving as the Brooklyn borough president, which was years before he became mayor, and that there were no exchanges of official actions involved.

As mayor-elect in September 2021, Adams is accused of coercing the city Fire Department into allowing a Turkish consular building to open without a fire inspection. However, Spiro contended that Adams did not exert pressure on the Fire Department and that airline officials could not possibly have anticipated his future mayoral role when they provided travel perks.

“The conduct described does not substantiate the bribery allegation,” said Spiro. “It lacks logic, it contradicts common sense, and it simply isn’t accurate.”

The other charges revolve around alleged violations of campaign finance laws. The indictment claims that Adams illegally accepted contributions from foreigners and misused these funds to misappropriate $10 million in public money through the city’s Matching Funds Program.

Spiro mentioned that it is alleged the campaign received $18,000 from foreign donors, which Adams was reportedly not aware of. He asserted that Adams had no reason to seek extra funds since the campaign had exceeded its financial goals and had refunded excess contributions. Furthermore, the allegations are largely based on the testimony of a single witness who has admitted to lying to investigators and destroying evidence, according to Spiro.

“There is no conspiracy. There is no foreign involvement,” Spiro declared. “This is just fabricated nonsense.”

Adams’ next court date is set for Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors allege that Adams secretly solicited and accepted illegal gifts and campaign funding from affluent foreign individuals. According to the indictment, he allegedly received luxury airfare, dining, and lodging from Turkish officials.

The indictment also states that Adams reciprocated by persuading the city’s fire department to greenlight the opening of a new Turkish consulate. It is said that the building would not have passed an inspection at that time, but Turkish officials were eager to proceed before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.