"I read the indictment. Legally, there's no way out for him. Just the nature of how the feds do things—they're probably gonna line up 10 or 15 different witnesses with varying degrees of cooperation in exchange for immunity. Some people might be squeaky clean, while others are dirty as hell, Sammy the Bull Gravano dirty. You know, not with the murders, but just about. They're gonna tell their stories, and like Alan Dershowitz says, they're not just gonna sing, they're gonna compose."
-Richard Luthmann
By Richard Luthmann
Mayor Eric Adams, a once-prominent figure in New York City politics, is now entangled in a federal prosecution threatening to end his tenure at City Hall. According to former attorney and New York insider Richard Luthmann, the case, centering around allegations of bribery and corruption, is built on testimony from Republican insiders turned informants.
In a recent episode of The Unknown Podcast, co-hosts Luthmann and Michael Volpe discussed the federal case. Luthmann asserted that much of the evidence comes from "rats and snitches" with deep Republican ties in Queens.
"They're flipping people like crazy," Luthmann said. "The key witnesses here—Eric Ulrich and John Haggerty—are not doing this out of civic duty. They’re doing it to save their own skin, and the Feds are using them to take out Adams."
Luthmann says all signs show Ulrich, the former NYC Department of Buildings Commissioner, and Haggerty, a convicted political operative, are both now cooperating with federal prosecutors.
Ulrich's Troubled Past
Eric Ulrich, once a rising Republican star in Queens politics, is facing his own legal troubles. He resigned as the head of the Buildings Department in 2022 after being implicated in a mafia-linked gambling ring. Federal prosecutors allege that Ulrich accepted bribes, partly to settle gambling debts owed to the Colombo crime family. According to Luthmann, Ulrich is desperate and "willing to sing any song the Feds put in front of him."
"Ulrich's involvement is key," Luthmann explained. "He's tied up in so much corruption that he’s a perfect tool for the Feds. He's got no choice but to cooperate, and he’s using every bit of dirt he has on Adams to try and keep his deal."
Ulrich’s cooperation comes after months of legal pressure. As the former commissioner of the Buildings Department, Ulrich was accused of accepting $150,000 in bribes, much of which went toward settling gambling debts. According to his NYS indictment, Ulrich was secretly recorded multiple times asking for cash while discussing favors he could provide in return, particularly waiving building code violations.
"This guy was deep in the pockets of mobsters," said Luthmann during the podcast. "Now he’s throwing Adams under the bus to avoid Fed time."
Haggerty's Checkered History
John Haggerty, the other key informant, has his own long history of political corruption. Haggerty is a convicted felon previously jailed for defrauding Michael Bloomberg of $750,000 and is currently under investigation for election fraud and forgery related to the 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
Haggerty is accused of using thousands of photocopied signatures to help Zeldin secure a third-party ballot line in the 2022 election.
"This guy has been in and out of courtrooms for years," Luthmann said of Haggerty. "He knows how to play the game, and right now, he’s playing the Feds to stay out of prison. He’s the type who will flip on anyone if it means cutting a deal."
Luthmann says Haggerty’s Federal entanglements are apparent from a review of NYS Elections-related documents, including statements by the State Board of Elections. Filed affidavits show Queens GOP Leader Tony Nunziato and NYC Board of Elections Supervisor Carl Aliviado claimed that Haggerty, a convicted liar and larcenist, was trusted as their “agent.”
“The pure bullshit is coming out of the NYS Board of Elections. Their documents literally say that ‘we can’t give you anything’ because the information is requested on John Haggerty, who is the ‘target of an investigation.’ Connect the dots, and it spells FEDS,” Luthmann said.
Haggerty’s involvement in the Adams case raises serious questions about the integrity of the prosecution's evidence.
"These are not trustworthy people," Luthmann said. "They’re both operatives who have been caught and are now doing whatever it takes to get out from under federal charges. Do I blame them? Yes. Loyalty is the only currency that really matters in politics and in life."
Political Motivation?
Luthmann and Volpe both expressed skepticism about the motivations behind the Adams prosecution, pointing to the mayor's recent criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the migrant crisis in New York. While Adams had long been a supporter of sanctuary city policies, he has become increasingly vocal about the strain the influx of migrants is placing on the city’s resources. Some have speculated that Adams' comments may have made him a target for prosecution.
However, Luthmann sees a different political agenda at play.
"This isn’t about migrants or Biden’s border policy," he said. "Adams is being targeted because the Queens Republicans have the goods, and the Biden-Harris administration wants him gone in favor of a progressive. The Republicans see him as vulnerable, and the NYS Democrats like Kathy Hochul have wanted him taken out for years. This might be a favor from Obama to Billy Hochul. Kathy just can’t be seen as the rich white woman holding the knife or kicking a Black man out on his ass."
The case against Adams, according to Luthmann, is part of a broader political scheme. "The timing of this indictment is no coincidence," he said. "They want him out before the next election cycle, and they’re using these Federal Rats to do it."
Volpe echoed Luthmann’s concerns about the timing of the indictment.
"It’s very convenient that this is happening now, just as Adams has started to push back on the migrant issue," he said. "But the charges themselves are serious—illegal campaign contributions, bribery, conspiracy. If the feds can prove even half of what they’re alleging, Adams is in real trouble."
Rumors of a Deal with Trump
Amid the swirling allegations, Luthmann hinted at a potential bombshell development: Adams could be considering a deal with former President Donald Trump. Luthmann says a political solution is Adams’ only real “out.”
"I read the indictment. Legally, there's no way out for him. Just the nature of how the Feds do things—they're probably gonna line up 10 or 15 different witnesses with varying degrees of cooperation in exchange for immunity. Some people might be squeaky clean, while others are dirty as hell, Sammy the Bull Gravano dirty. You know, not with the murders, but just about. They're gonna tell their stories, and like Alan Dershowitz says, they're not just gonna sing, they're gonna compose," Luthmann said.
According to Luthmann, there are rumors that Adams might disavow President Biden and urge his base, particularly Black voters in New York City, to stay home on Election Day in 2024.
"If Adams tells his people to sit this one out, it could swing New York to Trump," Luthmann said. "And if Trump wins New York, that’s the ballgame. He wins the Electoral College and the presidency."
Volpe was more cautious about the possibility of such a deal, pointing out that it would be a drastic move for Adams.
"It’s a wild card, for sure," Volpe said. "But if Adams is backed into a corner and sees no other way out, who knows what he might do? He’s in survival mode right now."
Roger Stone Weighs In
Despite the rumors, longtime Trump ally Roger Stone has publicly dismissed the idea that Adams is being prosecuted for political reasons. In a recent article, Stone argued that the charges against Adams are rooted in long-standing corruption, not his recent comments about migrants.
"Eric Adams isn’t being targeted for opposing open borders—he doesn’t," Stone wrote. "This is about corruption, plain and simple. Adams has been taking illegal campaign contributions and bribes for years."
Stone’s article lays out a damning timeline of Adams' alleged misconduct, including accepting millions in illegal contributions from Turkish nationals. According to the indictment, Adams funneled these contributions through straw donors to evade campaign finance laws. He also allegedly pressured city officials to approve a Manhattan skyscraper without a fire inspection, a favor that benefitted one of his foreign donors.
"The corruption goes back a decade," Volpe noted during the podcast. "This isn’t just about one or two shady deals—this is systemic."
Luthmann agrees but thinks a Trump deal, in some form, is a distinct possibility. Trump will be the one who appears magnanimous to Adams supporters and New York’s Black and minority voters.
“Roger Stone is the savviest political operator of our lifetimes. The fact that he’s talking about it in these terms means something is at play. It could be that Trump can extract a higher political price from Adams, and that’s ‘The Art of the Deal’ 101 and a great strategy to take New York,” Luthmann said. “They will welcome Trump down the Canyon of Heroes like the Romans welcomed Julius Caesar after the conquest of Gaul, and there won’t be damn thing Alvin Bragg, Tish James, or Kathy Hochul can do about it. It would be fucking poetic.”
The Road Ahead
As the case against Adams moves forward, the political implications are enormous. Luthmann and Volpe agree that while the charges are serious, the federal government’s reliance on Ulrich and Haggerty as witnesses could weaken the case.
"The Feds have a habit of using dirty people to take down their targets," Luthmann said. "But that also opens the door for Adams' defense team to attack the credibility of these witnesses. When cross-examination is done, everyone knows these people will look like Sammy “The Bull” Gravano."
Volpe agreed, adding that the defense would likely focus on Ulrich and Haggerty's questionable backgrounds and motivations.
"If the defense can show that these guys are only cooperating to save themselves, that could plant enough doubt in the jury’s mind to make a conviction difficult," he said.
Whether Adams can survive the political and legal storm remains to be seen. For now, the mayor's future hangs in the balance, and the outcome of the case could potentially shape the 2024 presidential race as well.
Queens GOP Rats Sing: Will Their Dirt on Adams Stick?