Democrats want DOJ attorney who dropped Eric Adams case investigated

• Senate Democrats want the New York State Bar to investigate acting Attorney General Emil Bove after he dropped corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. The lawmakers said the move may constitute professional misconduct.
• The Justice Department moved to drop corruption charges against Adams, brought forward during the Biden administration.
• The Democrats contend the Justice Department is using the charges to get Adams to assist the administration with political favors.

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Senate Democrats are asking the New York State Bar to conduct a disciplinary investigation into acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove after he dropped corruption charges against Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The lawmakers contend Bove’s action may constitute professional misconduct under the New York State Unified Court System rules. 

“Mr. Bove has abused his position in numerous ways, including using the prosecutorial power of the federal government to coerce an elected state municipal officer to pursue policies to the political benefit of President Donald J. Trump,” the lawmakers wrote to the Attorney Grievance Committee. 

In September 2024, Damien Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York during the Biden administration, charged Adams with bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses. 

Bove directed prosecutors to seek a dismissal of the charges in February because he said the case improperly interfered with Adams’ reelection campaign and his ability to support President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. 

“Notably, the dismissal is inherently coercive, because it was without prejudice, therefore allowing Mr. Bove to use the threat of again charging Mayor Adams to ensure the political favor is fulfilled,” the senators wrote. 

Before Bove moved to drop the charges, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, an assistant U.S. attorney, and five career prosecutors resigned in protest. The judge in the case appointed an attorney to argue against dropping the charges since both the prosecution and the defense agreed and no one could present a differing viewpoint. The judge plans to rule on dropping the charges in mid-March. 

Even though Bove is a Trump administration official in the Department of Justice, the Democrats contend he can be investigated because he is a member of the New York State Bar and has an office there. 

“Mr. Bove’s conduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer; his activities are part of a broader course of conduct by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of Department of Justice’s investigations and prosecutions and the rule of law,” the senators said. 

Every Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee signed the letter.