by Jeroslyn JoVonn
March 18, 2026
“After all, Mayor Mamdani has full religion and confidence within the Company Counsel’s impartial judgment and in his capacity to succeed in the suitable and simply authorized conclusions.”
Former New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams is about to lose city-funded authorized help in his sexual assault case involving a former colleague.
On March 17, Mamdani’s administration introduced plans to withdraw city-funded authorized illustration for Adams, who faces allegations of sexually assaulting a transit police colleague roughly 30 years in the past, Politico stories. Company Counsel Steve Banks mentioned newly surfaced proof led to the choice on the case.
“Primarily based on my evaluation of recent proof for the reason that authentic resolution to signify him was made, I’ve decided that he’s not entitled to illustration by the Metropolis on this matter,” Banks mentioned. “Accordingly, the Legislation Division has requested the courtroom to allow our workplace to withdraw from representing the previous mayor.”
The lawsuit, filed whereas Adams was nonetheless in workplace, accuses him of sexually assaulting Lorna Seashore-Mathura in 1993, when he was a police officer. Seashore-Mathura alleges he sought a sexual favor in change for serving to advance her profession. Adams has strongly denied the declare and has mentioned he doesn’t recall assembly her.
A movement from town’s Company Counsel to withdraw from the civil case argues that Adams isn’t eligible for city-funded authorized help as a result of he was “not performing throughout the scope of his Metropolis employment” on the time of the alleged assault. Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec mentioned the choice was “made independently by the Company Counsel, as required by regulation,” including that Mamdani neither directed the evaluation nor influenced its end result.
“After all, Mayor Mamdani has full religion and confidence within the Company Counsel’s impartial judgment and in his capacity to succeed in the suitable and simply authorized conclusions,” Pekec mentioned.
The case in opposition to Adams was filed beneath the Grownup Survivors Act, which quickly expanded the window for survivors to convey claims. The accuser first filed in November 2023, simply earlier than the regulation expired, and later submitted an in depth lawsuit. On the time, town’s Company Counsel known as the allegations “ludicrous” and mentioned it anticipated Adams to be absolutely vindicated in courtroom.
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