Eric Ulrich – former head of the New York City Building Department – accused of political favoritism to the business Over $150,000 in bribes – A judge on Wednesday asked him to hire a lawyer, after admitting he could no longer afford his legal bills.
“At this point … he no longer has the funds,” Ulrich’s current lawyer, Sam Braverman, said during a hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court, where Ulrich is accused of selling his political posts — including a stint as a senior adviser to Mayor Eric Adams. to get goodies like $10,000 worth of Mets season tickets and a custom suit.
Ulrich, 39, who now works as an insurance broker And Published a children’s book During a years-long corruption investigation, even retaining a new lawyer is unaffordable, Braverman added.
When asked by Justice Daniel Kanwisser if that was true, Ulrich said, “Yes, your honor.”
The judge then said he planned to hire an experienced attorney paid by the court system in the coming days.
Ulrich didn’t comment when asked about his financial situation while leaving the court, but the Queens native and diehard Mets fan did when a reporter asked him if the team’s red-hot franchise shortstop Francisco Lindor. Should be named Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player.
“It’s not up to me to decide,” he quipped with a smile.
Ulrich was charged along with six other defendants, including Brooklyn real estate developer and top Adams donor Mark Koller, 51; Queens Pizza co-owners and brothers Joseph, 55, and Anthony Liveryi, 51; Michael Mazzio, 54, operator of a Brooklyn towing company; Paul Grego, 73, a consultant who works for the Building Department to fast-track clients’ permits and plan approvals; and Victor Truta, 53, a former city Department of Corrections officer.
Cases against all the men are still pending.
Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer
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