Topline
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams “with prejudice,” a ruling that prevents Adams from facing further prosecution on the same charges and a dismissal of a request from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, following claims Adams’ case would be dropped in exchange for his cooperation with Trump’s immigration policies.
A federal judge prevented further prosecution against the New York City mayor, ruling the court … More
Key Facts
Judge Dale Ho accepted a request from the Justice Department to drop the charges, but denied its request to do so “without prejudice,” as Ho argued the court cannot order prosecutors to continue proceedings against Adams.
By dismissing the case “with prejudice,” Adams will be unable to face prosecution for the same charges.
Ho’s ruling appears to support earlier arguments from Paul Clement—appointed to present arguments in the DOJ’s request—who said the case should be dropped with prejudice to rule out claims that Adams faced political pressure in his prosecution.
Adams was charged in September 2024 with one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and commit wire fraud and bribery, one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and other DOJ officials filed a request for Ho to drop the case on Feb. 14, following several days in which multiple department staffers declined to sign the paperwork to do so.
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Why Did The Justice Department Request Adams’ Case Be Dismissed?
In his initial request on Feb. 10, Bove requested the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the corruption charges against Adams while arguing they were filed too close to the 2025 mayoral primary. The charges would also limit how much Adams could cooperate with President Donald Trump’s immigration policy changes, Bove wrote, though he argued the charges be dropped without prejudice and allow for the charges to be brought again in the future. Bove said a dismissal had nothing to do with the merits of the case or the integrity of the prosecutors, but rather the “pending prosecution has unduly restricted [Adams’]
ability to devote full attention and resources to … illegal immigration and violent crime.”
What Has Trump Said About Eric Adams?
Trump suggested in December he may pardon Adams because he was being “treated pretty unfairly,” though Trump noted he didn’t know the details of the case and would need to review it. Trump said on Feb. 13 he did not request Adams’ case be dropped, saying, “I know nothing about it.”
Key Background
Adams, 64, was faced federal charges of bribery and fraud over allegations he received illegal campaign donations from the Turkish government. Prosecutors alleged Adams sought out and accepted illegal contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign and received other illegal contributions from the Turkish government as far back as 2014, when Adams served as Brooklyn borough president. The DOJ also alleged Adams received donations from straw donors and then defrauded the city by using those donations to receive about $10 million in matching public funds. Adams denied all the claims against him, saying at the time he would “continue to do the job that I was elected to do.” Following the DOJ’s request to drop the case, several prosecutors resigned: Acting U.S. Attorney in Manhattan Danielle Sasson resigned on Feb. 13, saying she was “baffled by the rushed and superficial process by which this decision was reached.” John Keller, the acting head of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, resigned the same day along with three other members of the section. Several New York City officials claimed the DOJ sought to dismiss its case against Adams in exchange for his cooperation with Trump’s immigration policies, the New York Times reported. Other top city officials, including three deputy mayors, resigned amid the case’s fallout.
Further Reading
Eric Adams Controversy: Judge Won’t Immediately Drop Charges—Despite Trump DOJ’s Request (Forbes)
