U.S. District Judge Dale Ho dismissed the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams with prejudice.
“In light of DOJ’s rationales, 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,” Ho wrote in his decision. “That appearance is inevitable, and it counsels in favor of dismissal with prejudice.”
“In other words, the record does not show that this case has impaired Mayor Adams in his immigration enforcement efforts. Instead, it shows that after DOJ decided to seek dismissal of his case, the Mayor took at least one new immigration-related action consistent with the preferences of the new administration,” Ho added. “Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions. Taking a step back from the particulars of this case, DOJ’s immigration enforcement rationale is both unprecedented and breathtaking in its sweep.”
The decision comes as the DOJ, under Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney Emil Bove, sought to drop the case, arguing it interfered with Adams’ efforts to address illegal immigration and violent crime.
Adams pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges after being accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions.
He suggested in December that his indictment by a federal grand jury may be politically motivated due to his criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies
