NYC Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case dismissed; charges can't be refiled
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, although without the strings attached that had been sought by the Department of Justice.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled at a later date. The DOJ's request for a dismissal without prejudice could have left the Democratic mayor beholden to President Donald Trump's administration, which considers Adams an ally in its immigration crackdown.
"Dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the Mayor's freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration, and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents," the judge wrote.
Prosecutors had asked for the right to bring charges again
The decision comes weeks after a court-appointed attorney, Paul D. Clement, counseled Ho to dismiss the indictment with prejudice. Ho selected Clement, who was a solicitor general under President George W. Bush, to present arguments against the prosecutors' bid to dismiss the charges in part because Adams and the DOJ were aligned in their positions.
Federal prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the corruption charges against Adams in February, arguing that Adams can't effectively cooperate on immigration enforcement if he is fighting a corruption case. But prosecutors also asked for the right to bring the charges again.
Ho, however, wrote that the DOJ's assertion is "unsubstantiated," noting that Adams took at least one new immigration-related action while the indictment was pending: allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate at the Rikers Island Jail Complex, a decision Ho said "appears to be contrary to New York City law."
"Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions," Ho wrote.
Adams pleaded not guilty in September
Adams pleaded not guilty in September to charges of accepting free travel and political donations from Turkish officials to take actions that benefitted their country. He has maintained his innocence.
“As I said from the outset, I never broke the law and I never will. I never put any personal benefit above my solemn responsibility as your mayor," Adams said in a video statement in mid-February. “I absolutely never traded my power as an elected official for personal benefit.”
Ho stressed that his decision not to deny the DOJ's motion altogether is not a reflection of Adams' guilt or innocence. The judge wrote that while the court cannot force the government to prosecute a defendant, it can "shine a light on the reasons that DOJ has decided to dismiss this case, leaving the most important judgment to the public."
Adams, now running for reelection, has been under pressure to resign since the indictment. But New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would not oust Adams from office and would instead seek to impose strict new guidelines on his administration.
Contributing: Lauren Villagran, Paste BN; Reuters