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Adams lawyer Alex Spiro withdraws from mayor’s sex assault case

Lorna Beach Mathura, left, and Mayor Eric Adams. (Obtained by Daily News; Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

Lorna Beach Mathura, left, and Mayor Eric Adams. (Obtained by Daily News; Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

Alex Spiro, a high-powered celebrity attorney representing Mayor Adams in separate ongoing criminal and civil cases, withdrew Wednesday from defending the mayor in a lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a police colleague over three decades ago.

In a motion filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Spiro said he’s withdrawing from the civil sexual assault case because the city Conflicts of Interest Board raised concerns about him simultaneously representing the mayor in that matter and the corruption indictment that federal prosecutors have brought against him.

Spiro didn’t elaborate in the filing on what the board’s concerns were, but wrote the board expressed the reservations after he became the mayor’s attorney in the federal criminal case on Sept. 25.

Spiro, who’s known as a hard-charging celebrity lawyer who has represented the likes of Elon Musk, Jay-Z and Alec Baldwin, wrote Adams and the NYPD, which is also a defendant in the case, have agreed to let him withdraw.

Representatives for Adams’ office didn’t return requests for comment. The city Law Department, which has represented the mayor alongside Spiro in the sexual assault case, confirmed it’ll continue to serve as his counsel in the matter. It wasn’t immediately clear if another private practice attorney will be brought on to replace Spiro.

Conflicts of Interest Board Executive Director Carolyn Miller said she’s prohibited by confidentiality rules from disclosing any communications her agency “may have had or advice that may have been given to a public servant.”

 

Spiro’s legal fees in the two matters were coming from separate sources.

In the sexual assault case, Spiro was being paid by city taxpayers at a steeply discounted rate compared to what he usually charges.

His fees in the federal corruption case are being paid by the legal defense trust the mayor launched last year, according to Vito Pitto, the trust’s compliance attorney. A spokesman for Spiro declined to say how much Spiro is charging the defense trust. He’s known to bill some clients as much as $2,000 per hour.

The sexual assault case is being brought by Lorna Beach-Mathura, who worked with Adams in the Transit Police Department and alleges he tried to force her to perform oral sex on him in a car in 1993 after she approached him for help with an employment issue. After she rebuffed his proposition, Adams ejaculated on her leg and dropped her off at a subway station, the lawsuit claims.

Adams has vehemently denied Beach-Mathura’s allegations.

Spiro’s withdrawal filing was submitted shortly after he appeared with Adams in Manhattan Federal Court Wednesday for the mayor’s first appearance before the judge handling his corruption case.

The feds have indicted Adams on charges that he solicited and accepted bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish nationals in exchange for doing political favors for the Turkish government. Adams has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In Wednesday’s hearing, federal prosecutors revealed they are “quite likely” to bring a superseding indictment in Adams’ corruption case that would include more charges being brought against the mayor and several unnamed “co-conspirators” mentioned in court papers.

Author: Editors Desk

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