Federal prosecutors in New York have submitted a motion to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, effectively concluding a prolonged dispute that has unsettled the Justice Department regarding the decision to drop the case.
The request to dismiss the five-count indictment was posted on the court’s public docket on Friday, stating, “The Acting Deputy Attorney General has determined, pursuant to an authorization by the Attorney General, that dismissal is necessary and appropriate, based on the unique facts and circumstances of this case.”
The judge presiding over the case must approve this motion before the charges are officially revoked.
The motion was co-signed by a senior career attorney from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, the acting head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, and notably, the acting deputy attorney general, who is second in command at the Justice Department.
This decision to dismiss the charges against Adams was initiated at Justice Department headquarters when former Trump attorney and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo instructing Manhattan prosecutors to drop the five-count indictment filed in September.
In a statement, Justice Department chief of staff Chad Mizelle commented on the resistance from several department prosecutors to file for the dismissal of Adams’ case, asserting, “The fact that those who indicted and prosecuted the case refused to follow a direct command is further proof of the disordered and ulterior motives of the prosecutors. Such individuals have no place at DOJ.”
Bove’s directive cited Adams’ “restricted” capacity to assist the Trump administration in enforcing its immigration policies. The case was to be dismissed without prejudice, allowing for the possibility of reviving the charges later, and Bove made accusations of the charges being politically motivated. This action followed discussions among senior Justice Department officials, Southern District of New York prosecutors, and Adams’ attorneys regarding the dismissal of the charges, according to a source familiar with the discussions confirmed to CBS News.
This led to an unprecedented internal revolt from Justice Department leadership and federal prosecutors in Manhattan, opposing the decision to dismiss the charges against New York’s mayor. The disagreement became public on Thursday when the acting head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, resigned in protest.
In a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi and reviewed by CBS News, Sassoon submitted her resignation, expressing that the request to drop Adams’ case “raises serious concerns that render the contemplated dismissal inconsistent with my ability and duty to prosecute federal crimes without fear or favor and to advance good-faith arguments before the courts.”
Sassoon’s letter alleged that during a meeting with Justice Department officials last month, Adams’ attorneys “urged what amounted to a quid pro quo,” supposedly offering the mayor’s cooperation with Trump administration initiatives in exchange for the dismissal of charges. Both Bove and Adams’ legal team denied this claim.
“It sets a breathtaking and dangerous precedent to reward Adams’ opportunistic and shifting commitments on immigration and other policy matters with the dismissal of a criminal indictment. Courts are unlikely to find that such an improper exchange aligns with the public interest,” Sassoon stated.
In response, Bove sent a letter to Sassoon accusing her of insubordination. He stated that he and Justice Department leadership supported the decision to dismiss Adams’ case, and Sassoon’s refusal to comply obstructed the “interests of justice.”
Bove explained that due to the prosecution against Adams, the mayor “is unable to communicate directly and candidly with City officials he is responsible for managing, as well as federal agencies trying to protect the public from national security threats and violent crime.”
He asserted that his directive to dismiss the charges “reflected a determination by the Justice Department that these public safety risks greatly outweigh any interest you have identified.”
The line prosecutors involved in Adams’ case have been placed on paid leave, pending investigations into Sassoon’s conduct, as revealed by Bove’s letter.
Following Sassoon’s resignation, the oversight of the Adams case was shifted from Manhattan to Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., where two additional leadership figures — Kevin Driscoll of the Criminal Division and John Keller, acting head of the Public Integrity Section — also resigned in protest, as sources confirmed to CBS News.
Furthermore, three additional senior officials from the public integrity unit in Washington, D.C., also resigned in the aftermath, according to two sources familiar with the situation, as reported by CBS News.
Additionally, on Friday, a line prosecutor in the Southern District of New York stepped down, publicly opposing the Trump administration’s decision. In a harshly critical letter to Bove, Hagan Scotten defended Sassoon’s efforts and those of the prosecutors involved in the Adams case, based on a letter obtained by CBS News.
“Any assistant U.S. attorney would know that our laws and traditions do not permit using prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, especially elected officials, in this manner,” he wrote. “If there is no lawyer within earshot of the President willing to advise him against this, then you may eventually encounter someone naive enough, or cowardly enough, to file your motion.”
“But it was never going to be me,” Scotten declared.
Adams made history as the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted on five counts of corruption back in September, facing allegations including bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance violations. He pleaded not guilty and has consistently proclaimed his innocence since then.
Scheduled to stand trial in April, Adams could have faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Dismissal comes after Adams meetings with Trump
This astonishing development follows high-profile meetings between Adams and President Trump. The two met in Florida while Mr. Trump was still president-elect. Adams later stated that their discussion did not involve his legal matters.
Adams subsequently canceled his plans to attend Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations in New York City to attend Mr. Trump’s inauguration instead, after receiving a last-minute invitation.
Previously, when asked about the case against Adams, Mr. Trump expressed his belief that Adams “was treated pretty unfairly” and mentioned he would consider issuing a pardon. The case’s dismissal obviates the need for any pardon.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump claimed he had no involvement in the decision to drop the case, stating to members of the press, “I didn’t. I know nothing about it. I did not.”
Prosecutors recently appeared to be ramping up their case
Just earlier in January, prosecutors indicated in court documents that they had discovered “additional criminal conduct” attributed to the mayor, although they did not specify what the other alleged conduct involved.
At that time, Adams criticized the revelation, declaring, “Even Ray Charles can see what’s going on. And I have an attorney, Alex Spiro, handling the situation. I have consistently maintained that I have done nothing wrong.”
Spiro labeled the actions of the prosecutors “amateur hour,” accusing them of “seeking a headline instead of acting appropriately.”
In the wake of the initial charges against Adams announced last fall, prosecutors had indicated additional charges were “quite likely.”
What’s next for Adams
The dismissal of the charges allows Adams to devote his full attention to running the city and also run for reelection.
He is facing challenges from Comptroller Brad Lander, Lander’s predecessor, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, as well as State Senator Jessica Ramos, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — to name just a few.
