By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Wednesday dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and said the charges cannot be brought again.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho’s decision to dismiss the case with prejudice was in line with the recommendation of a lawyer he asked to offer independent arguments, but contrary to the Justice Department request for a dismissal without prejudice.
Critics of the Justice Department and Adams said a dismissal without prejudice would leave the Democratic mayor beholden to Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, especially in advancing its crackdown on immigration.
The case has been a flashpoint in campaigning for New York City’s mayoral election in November, where the unpopular mayor faces an uphill battle for a second term.
Adams, 64, pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish officials in exchange for favors, including pressuring fire officials to let Turkey open a new Manhattan consulate despite safety concerns.
The mayor had long viewed the case as retribution for his criticism of surging migration during the administration of fellow Democrat Joe Biden, which brought the case last September.
Adams found support from the Trump administration, which urged prosecutors last month to dismiss the case.
Emil Bove, then the acting deputy attorney general, said the corruption case was interfering with Adams’ re-election campaign and preventing him from helping the federal government step up deportations, a top priority of Trump’s. He also said the decision had nothing to do with the merits of the case.
The directive came as Trump revamps the Justice Department to end what he calls its “weaponization” against political opponents during Biden’s administration.
Critics have said the changes would undermine the Justice Department’s integrity and traditional independence, turning it into a White House arm subject to Trump’s political whims.
Bove took charge of Adams’ case after several senior prosecutors resigned rather than obey his order to dismiss it.
Danielle Sassoon, the interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney at the time, criticized what she viewed as a quid pro quo between Adams and her superiors.
Adams and Bove have denied any quid pro quo.
The mayor’s lawyers initially agreed to a dismissal without prejudice but later asked Ho to dismiss the case for good, saying the publication of internal letters by Bove and Sassoon about the case meant Adams could never get a fair trial.
In light of the unusual joint dismissal request by Adams and the Justice Department, Ho sought an independent view from Paul Clement, a conservative who was solicitor general under Republican President George W. Bush.
Clement, now in private practice, wrote on March 14 that the possibility of the case being brought again could hang “like the proverbial Sword of Damocles” over Adams.
“The prospect of reindictment could create the appearance, if not the reality, that the actions of a public official are being driven by concerns about staying in the good graces of the federal executive, rather than the best interests of his constituents,” he added.
A Quinnipiac University poll released on March 5 found just one in five New York City voters approved of Adams’ job performance, and 56% thought he should resign.
Several Democratic challengers including former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are trying to unseat Adams.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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