NEW YORK — Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, is requesting to advance the date of his upcoming corruption and bribery trial, hoping to concentrate on his re-election campaign this spring.

A letter to the federal judge was filed on Monday by Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro, asking for the trial to commence on April 1 instead of the scheduled date of April 23.

Spiro argued that starting the trial earlier would protect Mayor Adams’s right to a prompt trial, allowing him to fully engage in his re-election efforts. He also emphasized that this would help voters focus on the Democratic candidates without the distraction of the indictment.

Adams, a member of the Democratic Party, was indicted in September for allegedly accepting luxurious travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official in exchange for political favors. He has entered a not-guilty plea and maintains he will continue to serve in his role while contesting these allegations.

As he heads into a Democratic primary scheduled for June, Adams is expected to encounter a competitive race, with several challengers already expressing their intent to run against him.

Requests for comments from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan went unanswered.

During a recent court hearing earlier this month, prosecutors indicated they are prepared to proceed with the trial whenever it is arranged but mentioned they are still examining a significant volume of seized records and have yet to access Adams’ personal cellphone. According to the indictment, Adams changed the phone’s password shortly before surrendering it to authorities and later claimed he could no longer remember it.

In his Monday letter, Spiro offered to waive access to some discovery materials if it would result in expediting the trial date. He warned that, based on the current timeline, a verdict might not arrive until late May, which would leave a limited timeframe for Adams to rehabilitate his reputation among voters.

Spiro asserted, “Considering the news and election timelines, this earlier trial date is not just practical, but crucial in this case.”