Federal judge: I won't 'shoot from the hip' on move to dismiss Mayor Adams' charges

A federal judge said Wednesday he will decide soon whether to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, which comes after President Donald Trump’s administration prompted a wave of resignations when it ordered prosecutors to drop the charges.

U.S. District Judge Dale Ho held a hearing in Manhattan federal court on the Department of Justice’s dismissal request. He reserved judgment after directly questioning the mayor and acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove about their understanding of the proposed arrangement, which would give federal prosecutors the option to revive the charges at any point.

“I’m going to take everything you said under careful consideration,” Ho said, adding that he would not “shoot from the hip here on the bench.”

Wednesday's hearing marked the latest chapter in a chaotic stretch that has thrown City Hall into further disarray. Four Adams deputies and several federal prosecutors have announced their resignations since Bove sent a letter on Feb. 10 ordering the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan to drop the bribery and fraud case against Adams.

The resignations, along with a top prosecutor’s allegation that Adams’ attorneys traded the mayor’s cooperation with Trump’s immigration crackdown in exchange for the dismissal, prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to hold meetings with key New York City leaders this week about the possibility of removing Adams from office.

Adams and his attorney, Alex Spiro, have denied the allegations from Danielle Sassoon, the now-former acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan. In court on Wednesday, Bove denied any quid pro quo. Adams told the judge he wasn’t concerned about potentially facing charges in the future.

“I have not committed a crime,” the mayor said.

A federal grand jury indicted Adams on the charges in September. Prosecutors accused him of accepting lavish flight upgrades, hotel stays and illicit campaign contributions from Turkish nationals in exchange for favors from his office.

Bove and Spiro repeatedly painted the dismissal request as standard operating procedure, saying the legal burden to dismiss a case is low when prosecutors make the request.

“I don’t think there is anything particularly exotic about it,” said Bove, a Trump appointee.

The federal judge asked Adams, Bove and Spiro a series of questions about the dismissal agreement and its ongoing ripple effects, with Bove and Spiro facing pointed queries about the reasons behind it.

At times, Ho apologized for his detailed inquiries. He said he was trying to understand the basis for the dismissal.

At one point, Ho reminded Adams he could confer with his attorney.

“I appreciate that because I failed my law class,” Adams joked.

Adams emerged from the courthouse along with his lawyers while a small group of protesters yelled at him. He did not answer any questions from reporters as he exited.

Ho did not provide a timeframe for his decision. He said he knows nobody wants the case to drag on, but that he’s taking his narrow role in the process seriously.