Mayor Eric Adams’ new high-profile lawyer is going on the offensive as part of an aggressive shift in strategy that aims to quash the sexual assault lawsuit against Hizzoner before it can possibly affect his reelection bid, The Post has learned.
Celebrity attorney Alex Spiro, a partner at the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm, filed a flurry of papers in Manhattan Supreme court setting a May 21 date to grill accuser Lorna Beach-Mathura under oath and pushing for proof of her claims.
He also sought to have the case tossed outright, according to the court documents.
Insiders in Adams’ camp told The Post the legal moves are part of an attempt to clear Adams before his opponents can use the allegations against him during the 2025 mayoral primary.
“The Adams team will point out in its legal case that the accuser has had nearly six months to present evidence already, and any longer a wait will start interfering with New Yorkers’ ability to fairly make a decision in the upcoming mayoral primary,” one source said.
While the mayor has vigorously denied any wrongdoing — sharply saying again Tuesday: “Never happened, it’s not who I am” — the lingering accusations alone could weigh down his reelect campaign, political insiders said.
“If he’s innocent, he should force her hand, not settle. Especially ahead of a possible primary,” Democratic political consultant Ken Frydman said. “All accusers should be listened to, but not all accusers should be believed.”
Another insider said the aggressive shift was “smart” — but that the mayor and his campaign still have to “walk a fine line” to ensure he doesn’t lose support among female voters as he tries to get the case tossed quickly.
An attorney for Beach-Mathura did not return calls for comment Wednesday.
Spiro, a go-to attorney for the wealthy who has represented Elon Musk and Jay-Z, was brought on by the city on Monday to serve as co-counsel in the case.
Beach-Mathura initially filed a notice of claim indicating her intent to sue in November, just under the deadline to bring claims beyond the statute of limitation under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.
In mid-March, her attorney filed a bombshell complaint that accused Adams of asking for oral sex in exchange for helping her with her career while the two worked in the Transit Police Department in 1993.
But in mid-March, her attorney filed a bombshell amended complaint that accused Adams of using his influence while the to get Beach-Mathura a promotion in exchange for oral sex in the early 1990s.
When she refused, Adams — then the leader of the Transit Bureau NYPD Guardians Association — allegedly forced her to touch his “erect penis” and “ejaculated on her” after she pulled away, according to her suit.
Adams and his attorneys have repeatedly denied the claims and have vowed to fight the claims in court — but insiders said the mayor needs to remove the scandal from voters’ minds as he enters primary season.
“He has the benefit that he’s not on the ballot for another 14 months and voters have short memories, but depending on how this plays out over the next several months this could be fodder for those running against him,” one politico remarked.
Already grappling with a federal probe into his 2021 mayoral campaign and lagging poll numbers due to the migrant surge and crime, Adams is expected to face a handful of Democratic challengers in the coming months looking to make him the first one-term mayor since David Dinkins in the 1990s.
Among them is former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, who has been quietly raising money with his exploratory committee before the formal filing in July.
Stringer had his mayoral aspirations crushed in 2021 when he was sued under the Adult Survivors Act. It took more than two years for the judge to toss the case, and Stringer has since turned around and sued his accuser, Jean Kim, for defamation over her decades-old allegations.
“There are number of challengers [to Adams] being floated, while I don’t think they are particularly strong, this narrative could derail his campaign,” said one political insider.
“We’ve seen it happen so it could happen again,” the source said, referring to Stringer.
But another operative warned that being too aggressive could hurt Adams.
“I think the mayor also has to come up with a real strategy not to alienate women,” the source said, adding the mayor’s current public posturing has already irked some voters.
“It’s a little bit like ‘doth protest a little bit too much,’” they said. “People have been talking about him bringing it all these female deputy mayors and it feels like a lot of hypocrisy to a lot of folks, but what else does he have?”
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