The US Justice Department has directed federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to dismiss the bribery case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, ABC News reported.
The order, issued Monday in a letter from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, leaves uncertainty about how Danielle Sassoon, the acting US Attorney, will proceed.
Adams has maintained his innocence against a five-count indictment alleging that he accepted luxury travel perks over several years in exchange for influencing the fire department to greenlight the opening of the new Turkish consulate in Manhattan, despite inspectors' ongoing safety concerns.
His federal corruption trial was set to begin on April 21.
While the mayor’s defense attorney has consistently asserted Adams’ innocence, the Justice Department’s letter to SDNY did not evaluate the strength of the evidence, sources familiar with the letter’s contents told ABC News.
Instead, the sources said, Bove’s letter raised concerns about the timing of the charges, implying they were part of the Biden administration’s alleged politicization of the Justice Department.
Prosecutors were instructed to drop the case without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of it being revisited in the future. However, the sources indicated that Bove’s letter suggested no action would be taken until after this year’s mayoral election.
"As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent -- and he would prevail. Today he has," said Adams' defense attorney, Alex Spiro, in a statement to ABC News.
"The Department of Justice has reevaluated this case and determined it should not go forward... Now, thankfully, the mayor and New York can put this unfortunate and misguided prosecution behind them," Spiro added.
Elected in 2021, Adams is the first sitting New York City mayor ever to face criminal charges.