NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A top official at the U.S. Department of Justice has ordered federal prosecutors to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who has cultivated a warm relationship with President Donald Trump.
In a two-page memo obtained by The Associated Press, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, an alumnus of the Manhattan office that brought the case, said that the decision to dismiss the charges was reached without an assessment of the strength of the prosecution of the prosecution and was not meant to call into question the attorneys who filed the case.
But, Bove said, that the timing of the charges and 鈥渕ore recent actions鈥� by the former U.S. attorney who led the office, Damian Williams, 鈥渉ave threatened the integrity of the proceedings, 鈥渋ncluding by increasing prejudicial pretrial publicity that risks impacting potential witnesses and the jury pool.鈥�
The development comes after months of speculation that Trump's Justice Department would take steps to end the criminal case against Adams, who was accused of accepting bribes of free or discounted travel and illegal campaign contributions.
Trump had hinted at the possibility of a pardon in December, telling reporters that the mayor had been 鈥渢reated pretty unfairly.鈥� He had also claimed, without offering evidence, that Adams was being persecuted for criticizing former President Joe Biden鈥檚 policies on immigration.
After Trump鈥檚 inauguration, Adams鈥� lawyers had approached senior Justice Department officials, asking them to intervene and drop the case.
Jake Offenhartz, Alanna Durkin Richer And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press
