Our Bureau
New York, NY
On April 2, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Dale Ho dismissed the federal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams with prejudice, effectively ending the charges and preventing their future revival. The case had accused Adams of accepting bribes from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors, including facilitating the opening of a Turkish new consulate without passing fire inspections.
Judge Ho criticized the Department of Justice’s decision to seek dismissal, suggesting it appeared to be a political bargain: dropping the charges in exchange for Adams’ cooperation with federal immigration policies. This reasoning led to the resignation of eight federal prosecutors, who expressed concerns over potential political interference and the compromise of judicial independence.
As per the order, Ho wrote that, “It is important to clarify that the Court’s decision today is not about whether Mayor Adams is innocent or guilty.”
Because prosecuting Adams would have hampered his capacity to lead the city and collaborate with President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, the DOJ contended that the case should be dismissed without prejudice.
The DOJ’s insistence that they submit the dismissal request prompted seven federal prosecutors, including the acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney, to resign.
Rejecting the case without prejudice, according to Ho, “would create the unavoidable perception that the Mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration.”
The DOJ had not objected to Adams’ move for a dismissal with prejudice, ” effectively waiving any objection to permanent dismissal of this case,” the judge observed.
Adams remarked at a news conference, “This case should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong.”
“I’m now happy that our city can finally close the book on this to focus,” he said. “I want to thank New Yorkers who stood by my side, who prayed for me, who supported me from day one, that stuck with me while we focused on the work at hand,” he added.
The DOJ brought the lawsuit when Democratic President Joe Biden was still in office.
