A federal judge has ordered New York City Mayor Eric Adams, his legal team, and Department of Justice prosecutors to appear in court Wednesday to explain the DOJ's controversial request to dismiss corruption charges against the mayor. The directive from Manhattan U.S. District Judge Dale Ho signals that he is scrutinizing the Justice Department's move, which has triggered resignations from multiple prosecutors and raised concerns about potential political influence.
The DOJ's request to drop the charges has sparked backlash, with critics questioning whether the decision was linked to Adams' agreement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The controversy deepened last week when seven prosecutors, including acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, resigned rather than comply with the directive to seek dismissal of the case.
Ho's order, issued Tuesday, cites an appeals court ruling that states judges "should be satisfied that the reasons for the proposed dismissal are substantial." The ruling suggests that while the executive branch holds broad discretion over prosecutions, a judge has the authority to reject a motion to dismiss if it is deemed "clearly contrary to manifest public interest."
The directive follows a letter from three former U.S. attorneys who urged the judge to "conduct a factual inquiry" into the circumstances surrounding the DOJ's dismissal request. The letter pointed to last week's resignations and the broader implications of the department's decision.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is also weighing her options in response to the ongoing turmoil. She has scheduled a meeting with key state and city leaders to discuss the future of Adams' administration following the abrupt resignation of four deputy mayors. Hochul, in a statement Monday, acknowledged that removing a sitting mayor is an extraordinary step but stated that recent developments "cannot be ignored."
The Justice Department's dismissal request was signed by Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who argued that proceeding with the case would interfere with Adams' ability to govern and could impact public safety and national security. The filing also cited concerns about the potential effects on the upcoming mayoral election.
Danielle Sassoon, who led the prosecution before her resignation, objected to the decision to drop the case. In her resignation letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, she described the DOJ's action as an "obvious ethical problem" and suggested that the department was yielding to political pressure. She noted that the motion to dismiss the case "preserves the ability to refile charges," a condition that raised further concerns about potential leverage over the mayor.
The DOJ's request came just one day after Adams met with White House border czar Tom Homan and agreed to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents access to New York City's Rikers Island jail. Critics, including former prosecutors and legal experts, have raised concerns about whether the DOJ's decision was influenced by Adams' shift in immigration policy.
Adams' attorney, Alex Spiro, rejected any suggestion that the mayor engaged in a quid pro quo. "There was no quid pro quo," Spiro wrote in a letter to the court. "We never offered anything to the Department, or anyone else, for the dismissal. And neither the Department, nor anyone else, ever asked anything of us for the dismissal."
Judge Ho has set a hearing for 2 p.m. Wednesday, during which both the DOJ and Adams' legal team are expected to clarify the rationale behind the dismissal request. He also directed Adams' attorneys to submit the mayor's written consent to the DOJ's motion by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The case has sent shockwaves through New York City's political landscape, with multiple city and state leaders calling for Adams' resignation. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander have both questioned whether the mayor can continue to govern effectively given the controversy surrounding the case.
Meanwhile, Common Cause, a government watchdog organization, has formally asked Judge Ho to appoint a special prosecutor to review the case. The group has argued that the circumstances surrounding the dismissal raise serious concerns about the integrity of the judicial process.
