Trump’s Justice Department Moves To Drop Charges Against Eric Adams

NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors moved to drop their case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams Monday, clearing him of all corruption charges as he seeks reelection in June.

A top Justice Department official, Emil Bove, directed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to seek a dismissal of the charges against Adams, saying in a memo to the office the case has “improperly interfered” with the mayor’s reelection campaign and could hurt his ability to support Trump’s immigration agenda. The move was first reported by The New York Times.

Adams has made clear he supports Trump’s efforts to deport certain undocumented migrants from the city.

Should a judge sign off on tossing all five counts against Adams, who was indicted in September, the mayor would no longer face the prospect of jail time or a trial as he runs for reelection.

A spokesperson for the Southern District, Nicholas Biase, declined to comment on how the office planned to respond and a spokesperson for Adams confirmed the news. The mayor’s legal team cast the decision as proof the justice department never had a case to begin with.

“As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent—and he would prevail,” Alex Spiro, the mayor’s attorney, said in a statement. “Today he has.”

This move continues an emerging pattern of the administration of President Donald Trump dropping politically charged criminal cases he inherited when resuming the White House last month. And it shows the extent of the alliance between the Republican president and the Democratic mayor — an alliance that stands to hurt Adams in a Democratic primary.

“The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration,” the letter from Bove reads.

Bove suggested the charges were politically motivated and “improperly interfered with Mayor Adams’ campaign in the 2025 mayoral election.” Adams has argued the same point, agreeing with Trump’s repeated statements that former President Joe Biden weaponized the Justice Department against him because he criticized Biden’s handling of migrants.

“We are particularly concerned about the impact of the prosecution on Mayor Adams’ ability to to support critical, ongoing federal efforts ‘to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement,’” Bove wrote, quoting one of Trump’s executive orders.

Al Sharpton said in a Monday night interview he was reaching out to other Black elected officials and clergy to discuss the implications of the dismissal on this year’s mayoral race.

“I think politically this is very questionable and challenging,” the prominent civil rights leader and MSNBC host said, adding that Trump’s clemency has given him “great pause and great concern” over the actions taken by the Adams administration regarding immigration.

Candidates challenging Adams for reelection also took note.

“If there was any doubt left, today’s news makes it clear that justice is dead in America,” state Sen. Zellnor Myrie said in a statement. “How many more of our rights and freedoms did the Mayor give up to save his own skin?”

Federal prosecutors indicted Adams in September over allegations he took bribes from Turkish interests in return for official favors.

Adams pleaded not guilty and aggressively contested the charges ahead of a trial scheduled for April. The mayor’s legal team argued he had no knowledge of the illegal donations and that he was performing standard constituent services by contacting the Fire Department about opening the new Turkish consulate — the alleged quo in the quid-pro-quo scheme — when he was Brooklyn borough president and the Democratic nominee for mayor.

Adams’ fate has been far from certain. Several weeks ago, as Trump was considering clearing the mayor of his charges, Manhattan prosecutors were proceeding with the case.

In early January, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said the office had evidence Adams committed crimes beyond what was in the indictment. Two weeks later the interim Manhattan prosecutor selected by Trump, Danielle Sassoon, penned a letter to the judge presiding over the case undercutting the mayor’s claim of political persecution.

The move must pass muster with Judge Dale Ho. And as POLITICO previously reported, how much power the jurist has to push back on prosecutors’ request to drop the case is an open question.

While some legal experts said Ho’s hands are tied, others believe he could outright refuse.

“The ‘leave of court’ requirement exists precisely to guard against the dubious, perhaps corrupt, dismissal of cases against powerful and well-connected defendants,” said Thomas Frampton, an associate law professor at the University of Virginia.

If the case is dismissed, it’s possible Adams could face charges again. Bove’s order includes the condition that the office should review the case “following the November 2025 mayoral election.” Bove orders prosecutors not to “target” Adams or take any further investigative steps until then.

Bove also directs the office to take steps to restore Adams’ security clearances. Such federal clearances can be revoked if somebody is deemed vulnerable to parting with sensitive information, POLITICO previously reported.

Adams’ argument of political retribution appeared to resonate with Trump, who cast both himself and Adams as victims of a politicized Biden administration and mused about pardoning the New York City mayor.

Adams, in turn, has avoided criticizing Trump and sought opportunities to gain his favor.

After Trump was elected, the mayor met with his border czar and suggested federal immigration authorities would have a hand in crafting alterations to local “sanctuary city” laws.

Last month, Adams flew to Florida to dine with Trump. And days later, the mayor skipped local Martin Luther King Jr. Day events to attend Trump’s inauguration.

Officials who share Adams’ political base excoriated him.

“Some that should be here celebrating Dr. King with us in this room have chosen to go to Washington to celebrate felon 47,” New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams — one of New York City’s highest ranking Black politicians — said to cheers during one MLK event.

With the alliance between the two New Yorkers in full bloom, last month top DOJ officials began discussing the possibility of tossing the case with Manhattan prosecutors and the mayor’s legal team. Adams’ lawyers, Alex Spiro and William Burck, met with federal prosecutors in Washington D.C. on Jan. 31, the Times first reported.