Judge permanently dismisses corruption charges against Mayor Adams

Mayor Eric Adams’ legal battle ended Wednesday when a federal judge permanently dismissed his corruption case, leaving the mayor free of his charges but politically battered.

Judge Dale Ho strayed from the original order from the Department of Justice, which argued in February that Adams needed to be freed up to help enforce the Trump administration’s immigration agenda – and that his case could be reassessed after the November election.

After former prosecutors quit in protest of the order, Ho appointed an outside lawyer, Paul Clement, to provide an independent review of the case. His decision follows Clement’s recommendation to drop the charges and not allow prosecutors to revisit them.

The decision essentially strips an implied threat by the Trump DOJ – and it comes on the eve of a critical deadline for the mayoral race. Petitions for eligibility in the June 24 primary are due by midnight Thursday, and Adams and his lawyer have argued that the mayor needed his charges dropped to campaign effectively. With the corruption case out of the way, Adams will now have to convince voters that he remains the best person to lead the city despite accusations that he cut an improper deal with the Trump administration.

Ho gave credence to those accusations in his decision to dismiss the charges.

“Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” Ho wrote, referring to the Justice Department’s order to drop the mayor’s case. Citing the apparent conflict, he chose to dismiss the case “with prejudice,” meaning the charges cannot be brought back.

"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."

Speaking to the public at Gracie Mansion on Wednesday, Adams celebrated the dismissal and promoted a book by Trump FBI director Kash Patel.

"As I have repeatedly said, I have always been solely beholden to the people of this city. No special interests. No political opponents, but just everyday New Yorkers," Adams said.

By ending the prosecution once and for all, Ho’s ruling allows the mayor to campaign for re-election without a looming trial – or the fear that the Trump administration could revive the charges on a whim. But his path to a second term remains difficult.

After spending months fending off accusations that he took bribes from Turkish officials, Adams fell into further political crisis over his relationship with Trump. A Quinnipiac University poll this month found only 20% of city voters approved of the mayor’s performance – and more than half said he should resign.

Adams was charged last September with five counts including bribery, accepting illegal foreign donations, wire fraud and conspiracy. He was accused of accepting flight upgrades and other travel perks in exchange for expediting the approval of the opening of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan. He also was alleged to have solicited and accepted tens of thousands of dollars in illegal donations that were then used to help him earn millions of dollars through the city’s generous matching funds program.

The mayor has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence and said his case was politically motivated, arguing without evidence that he was targeted because of his criticisms of former President Biden’s immigration policy.

The DOJ endorsed that argument in its order to drop the charges – despite the fact that the investigation into Adams’ campaign began before the November 2021 mayoral election.

Although the Justice Department’s move changed Adams’ legal fate, it quickly became a political liability. Several federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York resigned rather than drop the charges, and accused Adams of entering a “quid pro quo” with the president.

While Adams faced attacks from within his own party, Gov. Kathy Hochul considered using her authority to remove him from office – but quickly announced that she would refrain. She said instead that she would establish greater oversight of the mayor, but members of the state Legislature and the City Council have been reluctant to get on board with such legislation.

New York's Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, whose office was not involved in the case, on Wednesday called the prosecutors Adams' case “profiles in courage.”

“Now hopefully the mayor of the City of New York will protect individuals who are facing deportation and facing the fears, and the cruelty of this administration,” James said.

Brigid Bergin contributed reporting.