NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 New York City Mayor Eric Adams vowed to regain the public鈥檚 trust Tuesday as the Justice Department moved to halt his criminal corruption case, an extraordinary directive that officials said would free him up to assist in the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration crackdown.
In his first public comments since federal prosecutors were ordered to drop the case, Adams said he was eager to 鈥減ut this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of this city.鈥
He did not mention President Donald Trump by name but praised the Justice Department for its 鈥渉onesty," adding that he would "never put any personal benefit above my solemn responsibility as your mayor.鈥
The mayor's brief address at City Hall came one day after acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove told federal prosecutors in Manhattan to dismiss the bribery charges 鈥渁s soon as is practicable.鈥
In a two-page memo, Bove said the Justice Department reached the decision 鈥渨ithout assessing the strength of the evidence.鈥 Rather, he claimed the case was politically motivated and said the dismissal would allow Adams to 鈥渄evote full attention and resources鈥 to combating illegal immigration and violent crime.
Adams, who was elected as a centrist Democrat, had already shifted rightward following his indictment in September, praising Trump and expressing a willingness to roll back some of the city鈥檚 protections for undocumented migrants. But in the wake of the memo, he is facing a barrage of criticism from those who say he is now beholden to the Trump administration鈥檚 agenda.
鈥淚t certainly sounds like President Trump is holding the Mayor hostage,鈥 Rev. Al Sharpton, an influential ally of Adams, said in a statement Tuesday. 鈥淚 have supported the Mayor, but he has been put in an unfair position 鈥 even for him 鈥 of essentially political blackmail."
Several of the mayor鈥檚 challengers in the Democratic Party also suggested Adams would now put Trump鈥檚 interests over those of New Yorkers. Asked on Tuesday if the mayor was compromised, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, responded: 鈥淚 truly don鈥檛 know.鈥
The task of carrying out the Justice Department's order now falls to Danielle Sassoon, a seasoned prosecutor who was appointed acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan just days after Trump took office.
Her office declined to comment and has not indicated what it plans to do next. In a letter sent last month, prosecutors in the Adams case praised the strength of the evidence, dismissing the mayor's claim of political prosecution as an attempt 鈥渢o shift the focus away from the evidence of his guilt.鈥
Sassoon has limited power to oppose the order. She can be replaced at will by the Justice Department. Trump in November nominated Jay Clayton, the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to lead the office. His appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.
Under the terms laid out in the memo, the charges could still be refiled after the November mayoral election. Dismissal of the case should be conditional, Bove said, on Adams agreeing in writing that prosecutors are legally allowed to bring the charges back if they choose.
That means the threat of a renewed prosecution will hover over Adams in all of his dealings with the Trump administration while he is mayor.
鈥淚 have not seen anything like this before,鈥 said Arlo Devlin-Brown, the former chief of public corruption at the U.S. attorney鈥檚 office in Manhattan. 鈥淔or a case that鈥檚 already been charged to be reversed in the absence of some real new development in the merits of the case is highly unusual.鈥
Even with some uncertainty about what happens next, Adams struck a tone of vindication Tuesday, describing the criminal prosecution against him as an 鈥渦nnecessary ordeal鈥 that had been sensationalized in the media.
鈥淲ho I am is not in the headlines, it鈥檚 in my history,鈥 he said. 鈥淎s I said from the outset, I never broke the law and I never would.鈥
Federal prosecutors charged Adams in September with worth more than $100,000 鈥 including expensive flight upgrades and luxury hotel stays 鈥 while serving in his previous job as Brooklyn borough president.
The indictment said a Turkish official who helped facilitate the trips then leaned on Adams for favors, including lobbying the Fire Department to allow a newly constructed diplomatic building to open in time for a planned visit by Turkey鈥檚 president.
Prosecutors also said they had evidence Adams personally directed campaign staffers to solicit foreign donations, then disguised those contributions to qualify for a city program that provides a generous, publicly funded match for small donations. Foreign nationals are banned from contributing to U.S. election campaigns under federal law.
Adams was set to stand in trial in April.
In addition to the charges brought against him, federal prosecutors had homed in on , producing a drumbeat of raids and subpoenas that prompted resignations from his police commissioner, schools chancellor and multiple deputy mayors, as well as the director of Asian affairs and other top advisers.
It was not immediately clear what, if anything, will become of those inquiries. It was also not known how the directive would affect defendants tied to Adams already facing charges.
Just last week, City Hall's chief liaison to the Muslim community would plead guilty to collecting illegal campaign contributions on behalf of the Adams campaign. In January, a Brooklyn real estate magnate to helping channel illegal foreign campaign contributions to Adams.
Attorneys for those men did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
