By Steve Neavling
Newly unsealed court records show how federal prosecutors built — and were then forced to abandon — a criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams under pressure from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
The documents include a draft memo from former acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who resigned last month rather than comply with an order to dismiss corruption charges against Adams, the Associated Press reports. She wrote that Justice Department officials gave her team just 40 minutes to present their case before abruptly ordering it dropped.
Sassoon accused Emil Bove, the department’s third-in-command, of trying to kill the case even before meeting with her. She said Bove told her on Jan. 27 that Adams’ cooperation with Trump’s immigration policies was a key factor and ordered one of her prosecutors to shred his notes after a closed-door meeting.
“That simply does not suffice,” Sassoon wrote, describing the process as rushed and politically motivated.
Bove formally directed Sassoon to drop the charges on Feb. 10, arguing that the prosecution was tainted and distracting Adams from governing. Sassoon’s memo, along with emails and texts among prosecutors, were submitted under seal March 7 in an effort to convince Judge Dale E. Ho to dismiss the case.
The records were released Tuesday after news outlets requested their disclosure. They include internal concerns about shielding the case from political fallout, including a suggestion to remove references to Biden administration officials who approved Adams’ indictment.
Adams was indicted in September on charges that he accepted over $100,000 in illegal donations and perks while serving as Brooklyn borough president. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a Democratic primary in June.
The Justice Department insists that top officials like Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche weren’t involved before his Senate confirmation. But Sassoon said Bove told her Blanche — his former law partner and Trump co-counsel — was “on the same page” and that there was “no need to wait.”
Another prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, also resigned in protest last month.
