DOJ asks prosecutors to drop NYC mayor corruption case

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove on Monday sent a memo to federal prosecutors telling them to temporarily drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams has denied any wrongdoing in the case. The memo, sent to Department of Justice attorneys in New York, said the case against Adams should be dismissed if three conditions are met:

• Adams must agree to let the charges be dropped without prejudice—meaning prosecutors could resurrect the charges at a later date.

• Adams needs to agree that he doesn’t qualify as a prevailing party under the Hyde Amendment—meaning the DOJ won’t pay his legal fees for the case.

• Adams must agree to let the DOJ review the case after November 2025 and decide then whether to resurrect the charges against him. New York City mayoral election is scheduled for Nov. 4, and Adams is running for reelection.

Will Adams agree to these conditions? Adams on Monday night said in a video posted on social media that he planned to speak with his lawyer before offering a formal response to the possibility of the charges being dropped.

Why is the DOJ dropping this case now? Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, claimed that former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland began investigating Adams because the mayor opposed the Biden administration’s immigration policies. Bove also said that the DOJ’s prosecution against Adams was preventing the mayor from giving adequate attention to his reelection campaign. Since President Donald Trump called for an end to political prosecutions, it was appropriate to drop the charges while Adams sought reelection, Bove said.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about the initial charges against Adams.