Mayor Eric Adams hopes President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Manhattan US Attorney “understands how important justice is,” he said Tuesday — while describing his experience facing a historic federal indictment as “terrifying.”
Adams, during his weekly off-topic briefing at City Hall, was asked about former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, Trump’s nominee to take over as head of the powerful Southern District of New York.
“I am hoping that the next prosecutor that comes in understands how important justice is in this country and what it means to Americans,” he said. “I think the system of justice must be fair.”
Adams, who faces a five-count indictment charging him with bribery and corruption, added that: “I don’t think any American should go through what I’ve gone through.”
“This is terrifying for an American to go through, particularly one who committed his life to serving this city,” he told reporters.
It comes a day after Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams, who brought the ongoing case against Adams, announced he would step down from his post on Dec. 13 — avoiding being shown the door by the incoming White House administration.
The SDNY under Williams charged Adams about three years into its probe onto the mayor’s 2021 campaign, accusing him of of accepting luxury travel perks as bribes in exchange for helping foreign governments with messaging and bureaucratic red tape.
Adams, who has pleaded not guilty and denied the accusations, faces a Dec. 20 status hearing in the case.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the case, accusing Williams of being overzealous and claiming Adams was being targeted by President Biden’s Department of Justice for speaking out about the migrant crisis.
It’s not year clear how Clayton, whose nomination requires US Senate approval, would move forward with the first federal prosecution of a sitting New York City mayor.
Until then, Williams’ deputy, Edward Y. Kim, is set to take over as acting US Attorney when he steps down.
“I have never met him,” Adams said of Clayton Tuesday. “I’m hoping that the system of justice moves to be proper. And so, I’ve always stated I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Clayton, though respected for his role as SEC chair, has never prosecuted a criminal case.
Williams’s tenure as the leader of the SDNY led to the conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, the fallen cryptocurrency wonderboy and former Democratic donor, and former New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez.
Some in Adams’ camp see the incoming Trump administration as a win for the mayor in fighting the charges.
They believe the case is thin, comparing it to Menendez’s first prosecution across the Hudson, where the US Attorney in New Jersey failed to get a conviction from a jury.
One source told The Post Monday it was “a great day for Eric Adams” when news broke of Williams’ departure date.
“He is definitely smiling,” the source said.
Other insiders are fearful that any favor shown by the Trump administration to Adams could lead to a backlash by the Democratic party in the state.
Adams declined to speculate Tuesday.
“I’m going to continue to do my job,” he said. “I have an attorney. The attorney’s going to do his job. My job is to continue to move this city forward in the right direction. That’s what we’re doing.”
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