The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday instructed federal prosecutors in New York to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, citing concerns that the case was hindering his ability to assist in federal efforts on illegal immigration.
In a memo addressed to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove emphasized that the decision was not based on the merits of the case. Bove clarified that the Justice Department was not questioning the integrity of the prosecutors who had pursued the charges. Instead, he noted that the September 2024 indictment, brought by federal prosecutors during the Biden administration, had interfered with Adams’ re-election campaign and distracted him from supporting the federal government’s immigration priorities.
“The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to… illegal immigration and violent crime,” wrote Bove, a political appointee who previously served as former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
The indictment had charged Adams with accepting travel perks from Turkish officials and political donations from foreigners in exchange for taking actions favorable to Turkey. Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained that he was unfairly targeted, in part due to his public criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policy.
Bove’s memo indicated that the decision to dismiss the case was not contingent upon Adams cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. However, Bove acknowledged that Adams’ criticism of the previous administration’s immigration policies occurred prior to the charges being filed.
Adams’ defense attorney, Alex Spiro, issued a statement following the decision, asserting, “As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent—and he would prevail. Today he has.”
As of Monday evening, prosecutors had not yet indicated whether they would comply with the directive to drop the charges. The Southern District of New York, known for its independence, has not issued a public comment on the matter.
