Eric Adams’ corruption case has been dismissed by a federal judge.
According to reports, U.S. District Judge Dale Ho’s decision was made almost two months after Trump’s administration decided to drop the charges against the mayor. It’s also stated that Judge Ho dismissed the case without prejudice, which means that the Department of Justice cannot refile against Adams in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Although the decision was made, Judge Ho criticized the DOJ’s request to dismiss the case. He shared his concern about the decision being perceived as a political bargain. “Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions by Adams,” he said.
However, the DOJ argued that if the case had continued, it would’ve hindered “Adams’ ability to govern and cooperate with President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.” Due to this standoff, the DOJ saw a few resignations from prosecutors, including acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon.
Judge Ho also added, “DOJ cites no examples, and the Court is unable to find any, of the government dismissing charges against an elected official because doing so would enable the official to facilitate federal policy goals.”
Mayor Eric Adams had pleaded not guilty to charges including bribery and fraud, and has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. Adams released a statement after the case was dismissed: “This case should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong.”
With the dismissal of this case, Adams will now focus on his re-election campaign in which he will run as an independent candidate. “I firmly believe that this city is better served by truly independent leadership, not leaders pulled at by the extremists at the far left or the far right, but instead those rooted in the common middle, the place where the vast majority of New Yorkers are firmly planted,” Adams said.