The acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, resigned Thursday after the Justice Department ordered her office to drop federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The decision, which came from top officials in Washington, has raised concerns about political interference in one of the nation's most prestigious prosecutor's offices.
Sassoon's resignation was confirmed in an internal email to staff, and her departure follows a directive from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who instructed prosecutors earlier this week to dismiss the case against Adams "as soon as is practicable." The order, which lacked a legal justification, was met with internal resistance and reportedly influenced Sassoon's decision to step down.
The case against Adams, filed last year, marked the first time a sitting New York City mayor faced federal corruption charges in modern history. The indictment alleged that while serving as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams accepted luxury travel perks-including hotel upgrades and meals-from a Turkish official in exchange for using his influence to push New York City regulators to approve a Turkish consular building. Prosecutors also accused Adams of directing aides to disguise foreign donations to his campaign in violation of federal election law.
Adams, who pleaded not guilty, has long claimed that the charges were politically motivated, citing his criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the migrant crisis as a catalyst for the case. He has not commented publicly on the Justice Department's decision to dismiss the indictment.
Sassoon's resignation adds to growing concerns about the independence of the Southern District of New York, a prosecutor's office that has historically operated with a degree of autonomy from Washington. The office has been involved in high-profile cases against both Democratic and Republican figures, including the prosecution of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
McConnell, who also opposed the confirmations of Hegseth and Gabbard, has undergone an evolution in his party, moving from establishment leader to a key swing vote. McConnell has had a strained relationship with Trump and others in the MAGA sphere for years, in part due to his opposition to the Republican party's growing isolationist streak.
Sassoon's eight-page resignation letter, addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, detailed the circumstances that she felt made it impossible for her to continue in the role. While she did not explicitly cite the Adams case as the reason for her departure, sources familiar with the letter said it outlined concerns about political pressure and a lack of prosecutorial independence.
Bove, a former prosecutor with the Southern District of New York and one-time personal attorney to former President Donald Trump, offered no substantive legal reasoning for dropping the charges, according to officials familiar with the matter. His memo to Sassoon referenced "recent public actions" by the previous U.S. attorney, Damian Williams, as justification for ending the case, arguing that they had "threatened the integrity of the proceedings." Williams had previously written an op-ed decrying political corruption but had not commented on Adams specifically since leaving office in January.
