Mayor Adams on Tuesday said he hopes that under Jay Clayton, Manhattan’s likely next U.S. attorney, “the system of justice moves to be proper,” a comment that comes as the mayor is facing criminal indictment by the office Clayton is expected to lead.
President-elect Donald Trump announced earlier this month he’s nominating Clayton, a corporate lawyer who has no experience as a prosecutor, to become Manhattan’s next U.S. attorney. The incumbent, Damian Williams, said Monday he would leave before Trump takes office.
If Clayton is confirmed by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, legal experts have told the Daily News he will likely review the cases initiated by Williams, including the corruption case against Adams. Asked Tuesday afternoon for his thoughts on Clayton’s nomination, Adams referenced his own case.
“I don’t think any American should go through what I’ve gone through, and I’m hoping that the system of justice moves to be proper, and so I’ve always stated I’ve done nothing wrong,” he told reporters at City Hall during his weekly press conference.
“This is terrifying for an American to go through, particularly one who committed his life to serving his city, and I’m hoping the next prosecutor that comes in understands how important justice is in this country, what it means to Americans.”
Clayton, who currently works at the corporate Sullivan & Cromwell law firm and was Trump’s U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chairman during his first White House term, didn’t return a request for comment. Adams said he has never met Clayton.
Williams filed an indictment against Adams in late September on charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy and soliciting illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals. His indictment alleges Adams solicited bribes and illegal campaign cash from Turkish government operatives and others in exchange for granting them official favors, like helping resolve building safety issues at Turkey’s Manhattan consulate.
Adams has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The question of whether Clayton might move to quash Adams’ case is a matter of broad speculation as Trump has voiced support for Adams while claiming without evidence that the mayor was indicted as retribution for his criticism of President Biden’s handling of the migrant crisis.
During the presidential campaign, Adams angered fellow Democrats by declining to criticize Trump, fueling speculation in some quarters that Adams was hopeful, if elected, Trump could help him with his legal conundrum. Adams, asked several times about that in the run-up to the presidential election, said he supported fellow Democrat Vice President Harris in the race.
As U.S, attorney, experts said, Clayton could move to drop Adams’ prosecution. However, such a move would likely require approval from Manhattan Federal Court Judge Dale Ho, who is overseeing Adams’ case.
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