Three federal prosecutors who were handling a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned on Tuesday, saying they were pressured by the Justice Department to dismiss the charges. In a letter seen by Reuters, the prosecutors accused the department of demanding they admit wrongdoing after they refused to drop the case.
The prosecutors—Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom—stated in their resignation letter that the Justice Department had made it clear that they would only be allowed to return to their positions if they expressed regret and confessed to wrongdoing. The prosecutors refused, stating, “We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none.”
These three prosecutors were among five originally involved in the case. All five, along with at least six other career attorneys from Washington, resigned in protest after being pressured to drop the case. The charges against Adams involved allegations that he accepted bribes and illegal campaign contributions in exchange for favors.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, Nicholas Biase, declined to comment on the resignations. A representative for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office could not be reached for comment.
The Justice Department’s attempt to dismiss the charges against Adams began in February. This decision led to a wave of resignations and raised concerns that politics may have played a role in the pressure to drop the case. At the time, Emil Bove, acting Deputy Attorney General, described the case as an example of “weaponization” of the justice system, suggesting that dismissing the charges would allow the mayor to assist the administration with its immigration agenda.
A federal judge dismissed the charges earlier this month, criticizing the Justice Department’s reasoning. The judge said the department’s request to drop the case, to allow Adams to help with immigration priorities, “smacks of a bargain.”
Adams, 64, has denied the charges. Last September, he pleaded not guilty to accusations that he accepted bribes and campaign contributions from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors, such as pressuring fire officials to allow Turkey to open a consulate in Manhattan despite safety concerns.
The case has been a significant issue in the run-up to New York City’s mayoral election in November, with Adams facing challenges in securing a second term. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that only 20% of New York City voters approved of Adams’ job performance, and 56% believed he should resign.
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