15
Feb
Feb
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO DISMISS CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS
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Nicolas Adekeye / 3 weeks
- 0
- 2 min read
The US Justice Department has asked a court to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, with Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove intervening after federal prosecutors in Manhattan refused to drop the case. In a filing, Bove and other Justice Department officials argued that continuing the prosecution would interfere with Adams’ ability to govern and pose “unacceptable threats to public safety, national security, and related federal immigration initiatives and policies.” The move came after a showdown between Justice Department leadership in Washington and its Manhattan office, which has long prided itself on its independence. At least seven prosecutors, including interim Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon, quit rather than carry out Bove’s directive to halt the case. Adams faces charges of accepting over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks from foreign nationals. Adams pleaded not guilty in September and has denied any wrongdoing. His trial had been set for the spring, but the Justice Department’s motion seeks to dismiss the charges with the option of refiling them later. A judge must still approve the request. “I imagine the judge is going to want to explore what his role is under the rules,” said Joshua Naftalis, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor. Bove argued that continuing the prosecution would deny Adams access to sensitive information necessary to help protect the city. Adams has bonded with President Donald Trump recently, and Trump has criticized the case against Adams, saying he was open to giving the mayor a pardon. Hagan Scotten, an assistant US attorney in Manhattan, became the seventh prosecutor to resign, blasting Bove in the process. Scotten wrote in his resignation letter, “It would take a fool or a coward to meet your demand to drop the charges, but it was never going to be me.”