The Justice Department is moving to drop federal bribery and corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, citing the Democrat’s role in pushing back on crime and illegal immigration and suggesting the indictments were politically motivated.
In a memo to acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District Danielle Sassoon, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed the prosecutors to dismiss the charges “as soon as is practicable” if certain conditions are met, including a review of the case by state prosecutors. He left open the possibility that charges could be refiled after that review.
“There shall be no further targeting of Mayor Adams or additional investigative steps prior to that review, and you are further directed to take all steps within your power to cause mayor Adams security clearances to be restored,” Bove wrote in the memo, which was leaked to multiple news outlets.
Bove also said the prosecution was interfering with Adams’ reelection campaign and his “ability to support critical, ongoing federal efforts to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.”
In the memo, Bove said the decision to drop the charges against Adams “in no way calls into question the integrity and efforts of the line prosecutors responsible for the case” but suggested that the decision to target the mayor for prosecution was politically motivated.
“It cannot be ignored that Mayor Adams criticized the prior Administration’s immigration policies before the charges were filed, and the former U.S. Attorneys public actions created appearances of impropriety,” Bove wrote.
Adams was indicted in September on five counts of federal bribery, fraud and campaign finance violations that could have landed the former NYPD police captain in jail for decades if he was convicted. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, but the case was set to go to trial.
Damian Williams, the Biden-appointed U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who brought the charges against Adams, announced his resignation in December after Trump won the November presidential election.
Adams’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said the Justice Department’s order had “vindicated” the mayor’s claim of innocence and that “he never used his official position for personal benefit.”
“Now, thankfully, the mayor and New York can put this unfortunate and misguided prosecution behind them,” Spiro said in a statement. “As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent—and he would prevail.”
However, the move was blasted by fellow New York City Democrats, including City Councilor Jessica Ramos—a potential mayoral candidate—who accused Adams of cozying up to President Trump to get the federal charges dropped.
“Eric Adams sold out New Yorkers to buy his own freedom, but he’ll never escape the label of worst mayor in NYC history,” she posted on social media.
