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Acting Manhattan US attorney quits, citing Trump's moves to drop charges against Mayor Adams
By
Elizabeth Kim
and
Samantha Max
Published Feb 13, 2025
Modified Feb 13, 2025
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
and
Samantha Max
Published Feb 13, 2025
Modified Feb 13, 2025
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The top Manhattan federal prosecutor ordered to drop corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams has quit, a spokesperson said Thursday.
In a letter obtained by the New York Times, Danielle Sassoon, a career prosecutor and Republican, cited a recent Justice Department order to drop the charges against Adams and said that prosecutors were prepared to bring more charges against the mayor.
“I cannot fulfill my obligations, effectively lead my office in carrying out the Department’s priorities or credibly represent the Government before the courts, if I seek to dismiss the Adams case on this record,” she wrote in the letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Sassoon said she was “confident that Adams has committed the crimes with which he is charged,” which include bribery, soliciting illegal donations, wire fraud and conspiracy.
Her letter adds that prosecutors were prepared to bring another indictment against Adams that would charge him with conspiracy based on evidence that the mayor “destroyed and instructed others to destroy evidence and provide false information to the FBI.” She said her office was also prepared to allege further details about Adams’ involvement in a “fraudulent straw donor scheme.”
Echoing criticisms from political observers, she also argued the Justice Department’s memo amounted to a “bargain” with the mayor.
“Rather than be rewarded, Adams's advocacy should be called out for what it is: an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case,” Sassoon wrote.
The letter ends with Sassoon saying she would resign if Bondi was unwilling to meet with her or reconsider the directive.
Sassoon was appointed to run the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York until President Donald Trump's pick as permanent U.S. Attorney, Jay Clayton, can be confirmed by the Senate. Her decision to quit rather than drop the charges means Adams will be forced to wait until her replacement agrees to comply with Justice officials.
The DOJ’s decision to order prosecutors to drop the charges against the mayor has sparked criticism and accusations that Adams is beholden to Trump. The DOJ’s directive did not offer Adams a full legal reprieve. Instead, officials declined to assess the merits of the case and said the incoming U.S. attorney would review Adams’ case after the November election.
The Justice Department responded Thursday to Sassoon’s resignation with an eight-page letter excoriating her for her decision.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove wrote in the letter, obtained by the New York Times, that he had placed members of the team that had worked on Adams’ case on administrative leave and added that those prosecutors along with Sassoon would be investigated by Justice officials.
“At the conclusion of these investigations, the Attorney General will determine whether termination or some other action is appropriate,” Bove wrote.
Adams thanked the Justice Department this week, saying the decision to drop the charges would end a “monthslong saga.”
“Now we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city,” he added.
The mayor’s office referred questions to Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro. A spokesperson for Spiro did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Following news of Sassoon’s departure, the head of the city’s Department of Investigation issued a statement asserting its political independence. Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber has partnered with Manhattan federal prosecutors and the Manhattan district attorney on corruption investigations, including the one that led to Adams’ indictment.
“The Justice Department’s memorandum makes clear that its order to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the criminal charges against Mayor Adams was unrelated to the strength of the evidence in the case,” Strauber said. “In the investigation that led to these charges, DOI conducted its work apolitically, guided solely by the facts and the law.”
Strauber, a former Southern District prosecutor, went on to thank her agency’s inspectors, the FBI and federal prosecutors “for their work and their commitment to our mission to provide independent oversight and to protect City government from fraud and abuse.”
Tagged
Mayor Eric Adams
public safety
Politics
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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