Feds move to dismiss Eric Adams corruption case amid turmoil at DOJ

MANHATTAN (CN) — Federal prosecutors on Friday officially moved to dismiss the corruption and bribery case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid a slew of resignations from the Department of Justice.

In a four-page dismissal request, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asked a federal judge to drop the case without prejudice so the mayor can focus on his upcoming reelection campaign and governing New York City.

“Continuing these proceedings would interfere with the defendant’s ability to govern in New York City, which poses unacceptable threats to public safety, national security, and related federal immigration initiatives and policies,” Bove wrote.

The letter echoes one Bove sent to federal prosecutors on Monday directing them to drop the case “as soon as practicable.”

“The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration,” Bove wrote.

At least seven federal prosecutors have resigned since Bove made that demand. And until Friday, he appeared to have some difficulty finding a prosecutor to agree to take up the dismissal motion.

According to reports, it wasn’t until Bove coerced members of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section into finding someone to sign the papers — or face termination — that he got a volunteer.

Before that, all five members of the section’s management team had resigned over Bove’s order.

Then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon resigned, too. Sassoon, who was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the district until his permanent pick is confirmed by the Senate, sent her resignation letter to the Justice Department on Thursday.

“I cannot fulfill my obligations, effectively lead my office in carrying out the department’s priorities, or credibly represent the government before the courts, if I seek to dismiss the Adams case on this record,” she wrote.

Sassoon, a Republican and a member of the conservative Federalist Society, said in her letter that she attended a meeting with Bove and members of Adams’ legal team on Jan. 31 where they discussed dropping Adams’ criminal charges — if the mayor agreed to assist the Trump administration with its immigration enforcement efforts in New York City.

“Adams’ attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with the department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed,” Sassoon wrote.

The candid letter has earned praise from those skeptical of Adams and the Trump administration. New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of Trump’s longtime political opponents, called Sassoon “a profile in courage” during a press conference outside of Manhattan federal court on Friday.

Adding fuel to the quid pro quo fire was a Friday morning appearance on “Fox and Friends” by Adams and border czar Tom Homan, who gave a 15-minute joint interview to the conservative network about the city’s immigration issues.

During the interview, Adams, a Democrat, announced his plans to bring ICE agents into the city’s infamous Rikers Island jail complex. Homan vowed to hold him to it.

“If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City and we won’t be sitting on the couch. I’ll be in his office, up his butt saying, ‘Where the hell is this agreement we came to?’” Homan said.

Since Bove is moving to dismiss the case without prejudice, the Justice Department theoretically could bring the same charges in the future. Experts told Courthouse News Friday that this effectively amounts to the Trump Administration “[dangling] prosecution over an elected official’s head.”

Adams denies that any quid pro quo has taken place.

“I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never,” Adams said in a statement Friday. “I am solely beholden to the 8.3 million New Yorkers that I represent and I will always put this city first. Now, we must put this difficult episode behind us so that trust can be restored, New York can move forward, and we can continue delivering for the people of this city.”

Now, all eyes will be on U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, a Joe Biden appointee in the Southern District of New York. He’ll have the opportunity to press Justice Department officials about their request to dismiss the case. Precedent is slim, but it’s possible Ho could find himself in the unlikely position of having a pending criminal case with no willing prosecuting body, should he deny the Justice Department’s request.

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