Justice Department Orders SDNY To Dismiss Corruption Charges Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams

The Justice Department directed federal prosecutors to dismiss all corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday, according to letter from the acting Attorney General.

Emil Bove instructed the acting AG for Southern District of New York (SDNY) to drop its case against Adams without prejudice, FOX News reported. The charges include bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting foreign campaign contributions.

The letter cites "the timing of the charges and more recent public actions by the former U.S. Attorney responsible for initiating the case have threatened the integrity of the proceedings, including by increasing prejudicial pretrial publicity that risks impacting potential witnesses and the jury pool," Bove wrote.

The letter claims Adams' September 2024 arrest was politically motivated and came during the heat of the political campaign, according to the New York Times. It also cites the importance of Adams' cooperation with President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan.

Adams, who pleaded not guilty to all four counts against him, has become part of Trump's inner-circle since the president's November election. In January, Adams visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago and attended his inauguration in Washington, D.C., as a special guest.

Trump has claimed that Adams, like himself, is the victim of political persecution by the Manhattan court and hinted at a possible pardon if Adams should be found guilty. However, it appears the SDNY may not get that chance as Judge Dale E. Ho makes the call.

"You are directed, as authorized by the Attorney General, to dismiss the pending charges in United States v. Adams...as soon as is practicable," Bove wrote. "The Justice Department has reached this conclusion without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based, which are issues on which we defer to the U.S. Attorney's Office at this time.

"Moreover, as I said during our recent meetings, this directive in no way calls into question the integrity and efforts of the line prosecutors responsible for the case, or your efforts in leading those prosecutors in connection with a matter you inherited."