New York taxpayers will be spared Eric Adams’ criminal defense costs

• Eric Adams hired Alex Spiro – also Elon Musk’s lawyer – to represent him in his criminal case.
• Spiro has filed a separate civil sexual assault lawsuit against the mayor against the city.
• But taxpayers aren’t paying for criminal defense costs, a city spokesman said.

New York City taxpayers will not be affected by the bill in the Eric Adams federal bribery case, a spokesperson for the mayor confirmed to Business Insider.

Adams is represented in the criminal case by Alex Spiro, a former Manhattan district attorney and one of the country’s best-known lawyers, representing Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin, among others.

Spiro had been defending Adams in an unrelated civil sexual harassment lawsuit since April. In this case, Spiro billed the city for his work — although he reportedly only charged $250 an hour instead of the $2,025 hourly rate he charged other clients.

However, according to Fabien Levy, the city’s deputy mayor for communications, New York City’s coffers will not be drained for Spiro’s work in the criminal case against Adams.

“No, the city is not covering the cost of representation in this matter,” Levy told BI in an email.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have filed five criminal cases against Adams, accusing him of soliciting and accepting bribes from the Turkish government in the form of luxury travel perks.

Adams pleaded not guilty to the charges at an arraignment Friday afternoon, sitting somberly next to a relaxed-looking Spiro.

In remarks to reporters following the court hearing, Spiro derided the allegations as an “aircraft upgrade corruption case” and said he would file a motion to dismiss on Wednesday – a move that typically takes months to prepare.

Alex Spiro did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on Friday afternoon.