- New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a news conference responding to the Justice Department’s call for charges against him to be dropped. President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general said the charges interfered with Adams’ mayoral campaign.
- Adams pleaded not guilty to five counts including bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations.
- Trump said in the past he would have considered pardoning Adams.
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New York Mayor Eric Adams is responding to a major turn of events in his federal corruption case, as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department called for the charges against him to be dropped. Adams addressed the order for dismissal in a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 11.
“Now we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city,” Adams said. “It’s time to move forward.”
The DOJ ordered Manhattan prosecutors Monday, Feb. 10 to dismiss it, siding with Adams’ claim that the charges under the Biden administration were politically motivated and hampered his ability to combat the migrant crisis in New York.
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Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove also wrote in a memo that the charges against Adams, who’s up for re-election this year, have “improperly interfered with Mayor Adams’ campaign.”
In September 2024, Adams was indicted on five counts including bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations.
He’s accused of accepting bribes and illegal straw donations for his 2021 and 2025 campaigns from Turkish government operatives in exchange for political favors.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“This has been the most difficult 15 months of my life, but my inspiration was knowing I was fighting for the people of this city,” Adams said at the news conference.
What happens next?
The DOJ’s directive asks the case be dismissed without prejudice, which means charges could be refiled in the future.
The order also does not mean the case is completely dropped, because a dismissal would have to come in the form of a motion, which would be reviewed by a judge.
It’s possible prosecutors could refuse to carry out the order.
As of the morning of Feb. 11, there are no records indicating prosecutors have filed to drop the case.
What has Trump said about Adams?
Trump previously said he would consider pardoning Adams.
Adams took two trips to visit Trump in the last month, including attending his inauguration and going to Mar-a-Lago.
The mayor has declined to criticize Trump or his policies. He’s also signaled a desire to work with the new administration.
The City reported Adams encouraged senior city officials Monday to follow his lead warning that criticizing the Trump administration could jeopardize federal funding.
The mayor will now campaign for a second term.
The New York City mayoral election is Nov. 5.
Does Adams have a chance at a second term?
A recent poll from the Hill, Emerson College and Pix11 News showed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo would be the top choice of 33% of Democratic voters.
Adams came in second, with 10% of voters saying he would be their first choice.
