According to recent reports, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s legal defense fund is nearly depleted, receiving minimal contributions lately. Following federal charges against him, not only has his re-election fundraising dramatically declined, but support for his legal fund has also dwindled significantly.
The New York Times has highlighted that, based on quarterly regulatory filings from the New York City Conflict of Interest Board, Adams has almost exhausted the $1.8 million he previously raised for legal defenses over the past year, as he navigates a federal investigation into his campaign fundraising activities.
Since the federal indictment on September 26, which included allegations of bribery, fraud, and unlawfully accepting foreign campaign donations, Adams has received only one contribution of $1,000 to his legal fund. Regulatory documents indicate that since July, the fund has raised approximately $92,000, a stark contrast to the amounts raised in prior periods. Notably, the fund was established in November 2023, at the onset of the federal investigation, when the FBI confiscated Adams’s cell phone. Additionally, the fund has returned over $137,000 in donations due to violations or donor requests for refunds.
When asked about concerns over the dwindling resources of his legal defense fund, Adams stated at a press conference that he is “not worried.” Adams’s advisor, Frank Carone, who manages fundraising efforts and the legal defense fund, noted that with the mayor having reached the campaign spending limits imposed by the city’s Board of Elections for his 2025 campaign, the team will focus on bolstering the legal defense fund in the coming months. “Now we will prioritize the legal defense fund. The good news is that we no longer need to worry about campaign fundraising; the mayor can concentrate on managing the city and engage in campaign activities when the time is right,” Carone said.
Legal defenses can be incredibly costly. For instance, former Mayor Bill de Blasio faced a federal investigation into his fundraising activities, which, despite not leading to charges, resulted in over $10 million in legal fees paid by taxpayers, alongside $300,000 in personal legal expenses he still owes. Similarly, former Governor Andrew Cuomo faced multiple sexual harassment investigations, leading to his resignation in 2021, and the state spent over $25 million on his defense.
Since the indictment, Adams’s legal defense fund has incurred over $240,000 in expenses, mainly for services rendered by a high-profile legal team led by WilmerHale, which includes Adams’s former chief advisor, Brendan McGuire.