Judge permanently drops corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams

U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho on Wednesday dropped the federal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D).

In September, under former President Joe Biden, the Southern District of New York charged Adams with a five-count indictment, accusing him of bribery and fraud. It claimed that Adams received $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and other luxury travel perks from a Turkish official.

Adams pleaded not guilty.

'The case against Eric Adams should have never been brought in the first place — and finally today that case is gone forever.'

Democrats appeared to turn on Adams after he called out the Biden administration for fueling the nation’s immigration crisis, which put excessive strain on the sanctuary city’s resources. The corruption charges were filed soon after Adams criticized the administration. Some of Adams’ closest staffers also became the target of similar investigations.

In February, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department moved to dismiss the case against Adams, which sparked rumors from the mayor’s critics that the mayor and Trump had engaged in a quid pro quo. The Trump administration and Adams have both denied the claims, insisting instead that the mayor, like the president, was a victim of the left’s lawfare.

Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who previously represented Trump in his New York criminal case, argued that the indictments against Adams should be dismissed “based on well-founded concerns regarding weaponization, election interference, and the impediments that the case has imposed on Mayor Adams’ ability to govern and cooperate with federal law enforcement to keep New York City safe.”

In his 78-page decision to dismiss the case with prejudice, Ho wrote, “To be clear, the Court again emphasizes that it does not express any opinion as to the merits of the case or whether the prosecution of Mayor Adams ‘should’ move forward.”

“The Court notes only that it has no authority to require that it continue,” he stated. “Ultimately, because the decision to discontinue a prosecution belongs primarily to a political branch of government, it is the public’s judgment, and not this Court’s, that truly matters.”

Alex Spiro, Adams’ attorney, told Fox News, “The case against Eric Adams should have never been brought in the first place — and finally today that case is gone forever.”

“From Day 1, the mayor has maintained his innocence and now justice for Eric Adams and New Yorkers has prevailed,” he added.

Adams is now free to turn his attention to his re-election campaign, where he faces several Democratic challengers, including disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

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