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Breaking down Mayor Adams' criminal case amid resignations, Trump's growing influence
By
Samantha Max
Published Feb 14, 2025
Modified Feb 14, 2025
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Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
By
Samantha Max
Published Feb 14, 2025
Modified Feb 14, 2025
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The developments in Mayor Eric Adams’ criminal case are unfolding faster than a New York minute.
In just the last week, the Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors in New York City to dismiss the charges so the mayor can focus on immigration enforcement. Multiple prosecutors also resigned in protest. And the mayor announced plans to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to operate on Rikers Island.
It’s a lot to keep up with. Here’s a recap of what we know so far.
The acting U.S. deputy attorney general directed federal prosecutors in New York City to dismiss the mayor’s criminal case
On Monday, the second-in-command at the U.S. attorney general’s office, Emil Bove, directed the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the criminal charges against Mayor Eric Adams, at least until after the mayoral election in November. But he left open the possibility of bringing them back in the future.
Bove said prosecutors indicted Adams too close to the election and may have targeted him because of his criticism of the prior administration’s immigration policies. He also said the case had “unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to illegal immigration and violent crime.”
Adams, who was indicted in September on federal charges that accused him of trading his political influence for travel perks and illegal campaign donations, has denied wrongdoing. Shortly after news broke about the DOJ’s directive, he said in a video statement that it was time to “put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city.”
The acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York expressed concerns about dropping Adams’ charges
Two days after receiving Bove’s directive, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon sent the U.S. attorney general a letter asking the Justice Department to reconsider. She accused Adams’ attorneys of pressuring prosecutors into a “quid pro quo” agreement to dismiss the case in exchange for the mayor’s help with immigration enforcement.
“It is a breathtaking and dangerous precedent to reward Adams’ opportunistic and shifting commitments on immigration and other policy matters with dismissal of a criminal indictment,” she wrote.
Sassoon said her office was prepared to bring new charges against Adams that would accuse him of destroying evidence and instructing others to lie to the FBI. She said the office had also uncovered additional information about illegal campaign contributions.
The interim U.S. attorney said she was “baffled by the rushed and superficial process by which this decision was reached” and said she was prepared to resign. She tendered her resignation the next day.
Deputy attorney general announced investigation into prosecutors involved in the case
On Thursday, Bove accepted Sassoon’s resignation and admonished her for choosing to pursue what he called a “politically motivated prosecution.” In a letter, he said the attorney general's office and the Office of Professional Accountability would investigate Sassoon and the assistant U.S. attorneys leading the prosecution against Adams. He also said the case would be transferred to the DOJ in Washington because the New York City office “has demonstrated itself to be incapable of fairly and impartially reviewing the circumstances of this prosecution.”
That letter sparked even more resignations. John Keller, acting chief of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, and Kevin Driscoll, another high-ranking DOJ attorney, both stepped down Thursday afternoon, according to new reports. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten, one of the lead prosecutors on Adams’ case, also resigned. He said in his resignation letter, obtained by the New York Times, that the law doesn’t allow prosecutors to use their powers to influence citizens or elected officials.
“If no lawyer within earshot of the president is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion,” Scotten wrote. “But it was never going to be me.”
Mayor cozied up to President Donald Trump’s “border czar”
Amid the cascade of resignations, Adams met with Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” to discuss how to remove migrant gang members from New York City. The mayor announced Thursday afternoon that he was working on an executive order that would allow ICE agents to work on Rikers Island. City laws strictly limit when local authorities can cooperate with federal immigration officials, including when someone is in jail after being charged with a crime.
Adams said in a statement that he wants ICE agents to assist the jail system’s Correction Intelligence Bureau to investigate gangs and migrants accused of violent crimes. He also said he plans to assign more NYPD detectives to federal task forces focused on gangs and crime.
On Friday morning, Adams appeared alongside Homan on "Fox and Friends," where he denied any quid pro quo. But Homan said he was expecting the mayor to follow through on his promises to help with immigration enforcement.
“If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City, and we won’t be sitting on the couch,” he said. “I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’”
What happens next?
Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an interview on MSNBC Thursday night that she was thinking about whether to use her powers to remove Adams from office. She said she’s processing the news, which she called “extremely concerning,” and said she’s consulting with government leaders.
The DOJ must also find attorneys who are willing to follow its directive and file a motion to dismiss Adams’ charges. A judge would need to sign off on that motion.
Trevor Morrison, a professor at NYU School of Law who specializes in federal courts, said he expects the DOJ to keep searching until it finds a lawyer who will agree to toss the case. He said Bove could even file the motion himself.
But Morrison said there’s no guarantee that a judge will grant the request, especially if there’s a chance that the dismissal is being offered in exchange for a political favor. Judge Dale Ho, who’s presiding over the case, could even hold a hearing to learn more about the DOJ’s motivations for dismissing the case, he said.
Former Southern District prosecutor Diane Peress said that when she asked judges to dismiss charges in the past, she typically did so for one of three reasons: witnesses were no longer available to testify, key evidence was no longer available, or newly discovered evidence had upended the case.
“None of that is here,” said Peress, who is now an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
She said the DOJ’s directive gives the Trump administration leverage to ensure Adams cooperates with immigration enforcement.
“ It's actually laying a pretty good groundwork for dismissing it now, but leaving that sort of Damocles hanging that you could bring the prosecution back,” she said.
Carl Tobias with University of Richmond School of Law said he expects the dispute over the case to spark more resignations at the Southern District of New York.
“ I think there's a substantial amount of tension probably right now,” he said. “It may not settle down for some time.”
This story has been updated with more information.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Politics
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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