House Democrats Want Information On Eric Adams' Dealings With Doj

Two senior Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are launching an investigation into the Justice Department’s move to dismiss corruption charges against a member of their own party, the embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

It's an illustration of just how far Adams has fallen out of favor among fellow Democrats as he faces a tough primary reelection bid in June.

In a new letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, shared first with POLITICO, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Jasmine Crockett of Texas — the ranking members of the House Judiciary Committee and oversight subcommittee, respectively — write that the events around the Justice Department's decision to forgo the case against Adams indicate foul play is afoot.

“Last month, troubling reports emerged about the Trump Administration’s demand that federal prosecutors move to dismiss the serious public corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of a blatant and illegal quid pro quo to secure the Mayor’s loyal assistance in executing the Trump Administration’s mass arrest and deportation policies,” the House Democrats say in the letter.

Adams was charged in September with accepting illegal campaign contributions and gifts from Turkish officials – allegations he has vehemently denied. But the Trump administration recently moved to drop the case, arguing that it would disrupt Adams’ cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts and his reelection bid.

Shortly after the Department of Justice moved to drop the charges, Adams told President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, that he would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement into the Rikers Island jail facility, an about-face of recent New York City policy.

“Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the Trump DOJ allowing criminals to go free — whether they assaulted police officers, sold drugs to the community, or are corrupt politicians — as long as the criminals pledge loyalty to President Trump,” write Raskin and Crockett in their letter to Bondi.

The charges against Adams have not yet been formally dropped. A federal judge has asked former U.S. solicitor general Paul Clement to provide arguments on the case.

Raskin and Crockett are requesting all notes from the Jan. 31 meeting between Adams’ team and the Justice Department, along with early communication between the Trump White House and Justice Department officials about the investigation into Adams, among other materials.

Adams has denied allegations of misconduct as well as suggestions he is improperly indebted to the new administration.“Mayor Adams has been clear that his loyalty is solely to the 8.3 million New Yorkers he represents," said an Adams spokesperson in a statement. "Despite this investigation and case, we’ve simultaneously broken housing records, created the most jobs in the city’s history, provided for hundreds of thousands of longtime New Yorkers and migrants, built unprecedented public spaces, and made our city safer at every level. Mayor Adams will continue delivering for New Yorkers every day.”

The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment.

Ultimately, Raskin and Crockett’s powers are limited: as members of the minority party, they cannot issue subpoenas for the materials or compel officials to testify.

But the timing of their inquiry is significant, as Adams is scheduled to be on Capitol Hill on Wednesday alongsidethree other mayors of major Democratic cities to defend the immigration policies of their municipalities. Each is a “sanctuary city,” meaning their local laws do not comport with immigration orders being carried out at the federal level, including mass deportations.

Adams and the other mayors will be testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, of which Crockett is a member.