Mayor Adams says corruption case is over, but Justice memo holds no guarantees

Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday sought closure and vindication after what he called the “monthslong saga” of his federal corruption case, telling the public that “now we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city.”

But the campaign-style speech belied the more complicated legal reality Adams faces under Monday's directive from the Department of Justice, which ordered federal prosecutors to drop the charges against him. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York haven’t responded to the order yet, and it leaves open the possibility that Adams’ case could be revived.

“It's time to move forward,” Adams said during a six-minute livestreamed address, which was closed to reporters, barring the press from asking questions..

Read strictly, the Department of Justice's memo that surfaced late Monday only calls for a nine-month reprieve from charges that it says were politically motivated by Adams’ criticisms of former President Joe Biden’s handling of the migrant crisis. Both Adams and Trump have made the claim before, both without evidence.

The memo stipulates that the incoming U.S. attorney for the Southern District will review the case following the November election. Though it presents the order to drop the charges as part of an effort to restore the Department of Justice's credibility, suggesting that credibility slipped under the Biden administration, the order states that the department did not assess the merits of Adams’ individual case. The memo says it “in no way calls into question the integrity and efforts of the line prosecutors responsible” for the indictment.

Members of the city’s political circles connected the order’s conditional nature to its emphasis on Adams’ “ability to support critical, ongoing federal efforts” related to Trump's objective to deport high numbers of immigrants. The memo does not make clear how the mayor fits into those plans.

“It certainly sounds like President Trump is holding the mayor hostage,” the Rev. Al Sharpton, a close ally of Adams, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a critic of the mayor who would succeed Adams if he were removed from office, accused Adams of lying in his address to New Yorkers.

"The mayor is trying to sell misinformation to a city he’s already decided to sell out,” Williams said in a statement. The case, he added, “is not in fact over, it’s just being held over his head.”

Shekar Krishnan, a city councilmember from Queens, joined a growing chorus of critics questioning the mayor’s ability to govern.

“What commitments on local immigration policy has Mayor Adams made privately with President Trump?” he said.

The decision to order the dismissal of the five-count bribery indictment came after Adams spent months courting Trump, who has said he would consider pardoning the mayor. Critics have accused the mayor of putting his legal interests ahead of the city’s. Adams said he would not publicly criticize the president.

On Monday, Adams instructed city agency leaders not to criticize Trump either, warning that they could jeopardize billions in federal funding.

During his address on Tuesday, Adams acknowledged the cloud he still faces.

“Despite the fact that I am no longer facing legal questions, I also understand that many New Yorkers still question my character,” he said. “And I know that I must continue to regain your trust.”