Evidence that proves key witness in Adams case lied is turned over by the feds: defense attorney
Federal prosecutors have turned over evidence showing that a key witness in the criminal case against Mayor Eric Adams lied, his defense attorney said.
High-profile lawyer Alex Spiro, in a breathless statement released Monday night, accused the feds of slow-rolling the disclosure of so-called “Brady material” — evidence that could be favorable to a defendant.
The feds released the material — which remains under protective seal — after Spiro’s repeated vocal requests for it, according to the statement.
“These prosecutors, finally, after much delay and misdirection, have admitted they were hiding Brady material about the key witness in the case that proves Mayor Adams is innocent,” Spiro said.
He provided no backing for his claims.
The feds’ disclosure came after Spiro gave a wide-ranging news conference last week in which he contended that Rana Abbasova, a longtime staffer for Adams who became a key witness in the bribery and corruption case against the mayor, had lied to investigators. Spiro maintained Abbasova was lying about Adams being aware of wrongdoing.
“They’re hiding that their key witness lied,” Spiro said last week.
Adams’ defense team has tried to undermine Abbasova’s credibility, including a legal filing contending that leaks to the press pressured her to flip against the mayor.
Abbasova features prominently in the 57-page indictment against Adams.
While working as Adams’ liaison to Turkey during his days as Brooklyn’s borough president, Abbasova coordinated many illegal straw donations and arranged luxury travel perks that form the case against Adams, the indictment alleges.
The feds raided Abbasova’s home in November 2023 — during which time she deleted texts while hiding in her bathroom, the feds contend.
And she was placed on leave from her job as the mayor’s director of protocol in the Office for International Affairs after officials said she asked staffers to delete messages.
Abbasova was finally fired from City Hall Monday, amid a purge of troubled officials including Mohamed Bahi, the mayor’s liaison to the Muslim community, who was arrested the next day on witness tampering charges.
