The U.S. Justice Department has instructed federal prosecutors in New York to drop corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams. The department argued that the case was interfering with Adams’ ability to assist President Donald Trump in addressing illegal immigration issues.
This move represents an unusual intervention by the Justice Department in a high-profile case previously handled by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. This office is known for maintaining its independence from Washington’s political influence.
Adams, a Democrat, was indicted in September on five counts. The charges accused him of accepting travel benefits from Turkish officials and political donations from foreign sources in exchange for actions that would benefit Turkey. He has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
As of Monday evening, prosecutors had not yet indicated their plans to dismiss the case, according to court records. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, Nicholas Biase, declined to comment.
The 64-year-old mayor has suggested that the Biden administration is unfairly targeting him because of his criticism of its immigration policies, particularly regarding the surge of migrants into New York City.
In a memo obtained by Reuters, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove wrote that Adams’ criticisms of President Biden’s immigration stance could not be overlooked. The memo also argued that the indictment, filed in September 2024, was improperly interfering with Adams’ upcoming 2025 mayoral re-election campaign.
Adams’ defense attorney, Alex Spiro, issued a statement saying, “As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent—and he would prevail. Today, he has.”
The Justice Department’s memo suggested that the charges could still be reinstated. Bove stated that prosecutors should drop the charges only if Adams agrees that they may be brought again. Bove added that Jay Clayton, Trump’s appointee to lead the Southern District of New York, will decide whether to revive the charges after his Senate confirmation and after the New York mayoral election in November 2025.
Adams is scheduled to face trial on April 21, just ahead of the June Democratic primary for the mayoral race, where he will face multiple challengers.
Read more: