US judge won't immediately rule on “unusual” request to drop Eric Adams case

PHOTO CAPTION: New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a hearing before U.S. District Judge Dale Ho at Manhattan federal court in New York City, U.S., February 19, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

By Luc Cohen, Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge said on Wednesday he will take some time to consider a request by prosecutors under orders from a Donald Trump political appointee to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, saying he wants to make a reasoned decision on a "somewhat unusual situation." 

Justice Department officials last week asked U.S. District Judge Dale Ho to dismiss the charges, but in a manner that could allow prosecutors to revive the case at a later date if they choose to do so. Numerous Justice Department officials resigned in protest over what they decried as political interference under the Republican president in the case. 

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, appointed by Trump to the job after serving as his personal criminal defense lawyer, argued that dismissal is needed so Adams can focus on helping Trump crack down on illegal immigration. The controversy has sparked a political crisis in the most populous U.S. city. Senior Democrats have said that dismissing the charges makes Adams, a Democrat, beholden to Trump's administration.

At the outset of a hearing on Wednesday that lasted nearly 90 minutes, Ho said he was aware that he had little discretion in responding to the dismissal request, noting that courts have found that prosecutors are best suited to decide whether or not a case should continue. But the judge said he had questions about "how to handle what I think everyone would agree is a somewhat unusual situation."

"To exercise my discretion properly, I'm not going to shoot from the hip right here from the bench," Ho said.

Adams, 64, was charged last September by federal prosecutors during Democratic President Joe Biden's administration with taking bribes and campaign donations from Turkish nationals seeking to influence him. Adams, running for reelection this year, has pleaded not guilty. 

Asked on Wednesday about the mayor's future, New York state Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who has the power to remove Adams from office, told reporters, "There is a path forward to make sure we stabilize this city and its government."

Four of the mayor's deputies announced on Monday they plan to resign in the coming weeks.

'I'M NOT AFRAID'

Adams walked slowly as he entered the packed courtroom before the hearing, stopping to embrace his pastor, the 94-year-old Reverend Herbert Daughtry, who was seated in the audience's front row. As he arrived at the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, Adams was met with a chorus of boos from about 20 protesters chanting "Eric Adams - time to go" and holding signs reading "Judge Ho: No dismissals for corrupt officials." 

Under questioning from Ho during the hearing, Adams said he was not concerned about the charges being brought again because he had not committed a crime.

"I'm not afraid of that," Adams said in court.

Sitting alone at the prosecution table, Bove said case was interfering with Trump's national security and immigration objectives, since the mayor's lack of a security clearance means he cannot participate in full in discussions with federal authorities.

Bove disputed the assertion by former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon - who resigned rather than comply with his order to seek the case's dismissal - that the mayor's lawyers said he would help enforce Trump's hardline immigration policies only if the charges were dropped. Trump has ramped up deportations since returning to office.

But in the end, Bove said, the reason behind the Justice Department's decision to drop the case was irrelevant because it has broad authority to decide when a prosecution was in the public interest.

"I don't think it's correct that even if there was a quid pro quo there would be an issue with this motion," Bove said.

Lawyers for Adams have also denied any quid pro quo. 

(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Aleksandra Michalska and Hussein Waaile in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Will Dunham, Bill Berkrot and Deepa Babington)