New York Mayor Eric Adams will be tried on federal corruption charges starting April 21, 2025, a judge said Friday.

The timing bothered the defense, which argued for a timeline that could end the trial no later than early April to accommodate “serious, serious Democratic concerns” — namely, the mayor’s re-election campaign.

The defense argued that Adams needed a resolution of the criminal case by the time the vote is set in New York City in the spring.

“There comes a time in early April when people know who’s on the ballot,” defense attorney Alex Spiro said during a hearing Friday. “Either he’s running with this hanging over his head or he’s running with this finished.”

Judge Dale Ho said he appreciated the interest in a speedy trial “that any defendant has, but particularly that Mayor Adams has given to the election cycle.”

MORE: New York Mayor Eric Adams Could Face Additional Charges, Prosecutor Says

“But I also have to be realistic about what I think can be done,” he continued.

Adams has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment which accused him of accepting years of luxury travel gifts in exchange for, among other things, persuading the fire department to approve the opening of the new Turkish consulate in Manhattan despite persistent safety concerns from inspectors.

Defense tries to get bribery charge dismissed

The defense argued during Friday’s hearing that a bribery charge should be dismissed because the alleged conduct does not meet the legal definition of bribery.

As Adams watched silently in court, defense attorney John Bash argued that federal prosecutors failed to prove that Adams did more than broker meetings and arrange phone calls.

“The agreement has to be related to something specific and it has to be related to the power of the government,” Bash said. “They didn’t have any agreement for a specific action.”

The defense argued that Adams could not take official action on behalf of his Turkish patrons because, at the time, he was performing a largely ceremonial job as Brooklyn Borough President and not as mayor with authority over the New York City Fire Department. York.

“The pressure must arise in some sense from the governmental authority of the official,” Bash said.

Federal prosecutors disagreed. They argued that even if Adams had no authority over the fire department, his position still gave him access.

MORE: Federal investigation of New York City Mayor Eric Adams: A timeline of the corruption probe

“You don’t have to have a supervisory role to apply pressure,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten, calling the alleged bribery “as clear as day.”

The prosecutor argued that Adams knew that when he accepted the travel gifts “he was entering into a transactional relationship.”

Scotten said that, at most, Adams is entitled to a clarifying jury instruction and not an outright dismissal of the charge.

The judge has not yet ruled on the defense request.

New York Mayor Eric Adams to stand trial in April 2025 on federal corruption charges originally appeared on abcnews.go.com