The administration of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has filed a motion to stop representing former Mayor Eric Adams in a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a woman in 1993, according to a court filing on Tuesday. The city's corporation counsel argues that Adams is not entitled to publicly funded legal defense because the alleged assault occurred outside the scope of his city employment.
The lawsuit, filed under the Adult Survivors Act, accuses Adams of demanding a sexual favor from Lorna Beach-Mathura while he was a police officer in exchange for career advancement. Adams has denied the allegation, stating he does not recall meeting her. Beach-Mathura has consented to being named in the case.
A spokesperson for Mamdani said the decision was made independently by the corporation counsel, as required by law, and that the mayor did not direct the review or its outcome. The move follows a contentious election campaign where both Democrats exchanged sharp personal attacks, with Adams accusing Mamdani of being an out-of-touch liberal and Mamdani framing Adams as corrupt due to his ties to the Trump administration.
Adams, who withdrew from the mayoral race after a federal corruption case was dismissed, has continued to criticize Mamdani on social media. The city's law department has also ceased paying for legal representation for two of Adams' close allies in separate matters.
