Adams' legal team claims these leaks have compromised their client's right to a fair trial and are seeking accountability.
Lawyers for New York City Mayor Eric Adams are calling for sanctions against the Department of Justice, alleging a year-long pattern of leaking sensitive information about the investigation into Adams to the media.
The leaks allegedly intensified just before the charges were made public, with sources confirming the indictment to major outlets like Fox News.
The investigation into Adams, who faces charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and bribery, has been ongoing.
Adams' legal team claims these leaks have compromised their client's right to a fair trial and are seeking accountability.
This development is the latest in a series of challenges for Adams, who has maintained his innocence and refused to resign despite growing pressure.
The indictment has sparked heated debate, with some officials calling for his resignation and others defending him against what they see as politically motivated charges.
"In fact, the day before the indictment was unsealed — and even before the Mayor’s counsel was notified of the indictment — The New York Times reported that the Mayor ‘has been indicted in a federal corruption investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said,’ and that '[f]ederal prosecutors were expected to announce more details on Thursday,'" wrote Adams' attorney Avi Perry in court documents made public on Tuesday.
Hours before this report, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes parts of New York City, called for Adams to step down.
Perry noted that only a handful of individuals could have known about the indictment prior to its unsealing last week, including grand jury members, court staff, and Justice Department prosecutors.
"But of those, only the prosecution team would have been privy to the government’s plan to announce additional details the next day (as it did in a self-laudatory press conference)," Perry continued. "It is therefore clear that the prosecution team is responsible for the leak."
Adams’ legal team is requesting a hearing on the alleged misconduct and appropriate consequences in a bid to have the indictment dismissed.
If convicted of all charges, Adams could face up to 45 years in prison, with experts describing the indictment as just the "opening salvo." Ongoing investigations into several city hall staffers and campaign aides suggest that more charges could follow.