Eric Adams spending less on legal defense, latest filing shows

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams has reduced his spending on defense attorneys in the last three months, but he got defensive when asked for an update on a federal investigation into his 2021 campaign.

Adams’ Legal Defense Trust reported spending far less on lawyers in its latest financial report than it did in previous quarters, POLITICO first reported Tuesday.

The fund was billed $143,891 by white shoe defense firm WilmerHale between April and June. Haystack, a forensic firm also working on the defense, billed another $3,593, according to the report filed Monday with the city Conflicts of Interest Board. That’s less than half the $348,560 the trust reported spending on legal services in the previous quarter. And in the last two months of 2022, it shelled out $403,621 on attorney fees.

It has been eight months since federal agents raided the home of Adams’ campaign fundraiser and seized the mayor’s own cell phones and tablet. Asked Tuesday about the drop in legal spending — which would seem a positive development for him — the mayor bristled.

“First of all, your question was a stupid one. OK?” Adams said at his weekly, wide-ranging press conference, launching into a criticism of the press.

But what he did not discuss is whether the reduction in payments to WilmerHale indicates the federal investigation has slowed, at least as it relates to communication with his 2021 campaign.

A person familiar with the investigation, granted anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive matter, told POLITICO the attorneys have not been billing as many hours because federal investigators have not been requesting information from the campaign at the same rate they were in the months following the raids on multiple homes of people connected to the mayor.

Nobody involved in the case has been publicly accused of wrongdoing, and no charges have been brought. But the investigation — and a separate federal probe involving another Adams campaign aide, Winnie Greco — have loomed over his reelection campaign and emboldened potential primary challengers.

Adams’ former chief counsel in City Hall, Brendan McGuire, is working on the case at WilmerHale. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Vito Pitta, counsel for the defense fund, declined to comment on the nature of the lawyers’ work.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York also declined to comment on the investigation.

Adams on Tuesday confirmed that Brianna Suggs, the former campaign fundraiser whose home was raided in November, is continuing to work for his campaign in an administrative role.

And the mayor pointed to his substantial campaign finance filing, noting he raised more in the last period than three potential challengers — former Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Comptroller Brad Lander — combined.

Adams said “I hate” fundraising, but it’s “part of the business” and reporters use it to determine a candidate’s strength.

“I'm the hardest working man in show business,” Adams added, “like James Brown.”