The U.S. Justice Department has instructed prosecutors to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to a memo issued by Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove on Monday.
In the memo, Bove—who was appointed by former President Donald Trump—argued that the indictment could impact the upcoming mayoral election and had “restricted” Adams’ ability to address “illegal immigration and violent crime” in the city.
Adams, who has denied wrongdoing, was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions and gifts from Turkish businessmen in exchange for political favors. He pleaded not guilty in September to five charges, including bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance violations.
“You are directed, as authorized by the Attorney General, to dismiss the pending charges,” Bove wrote to prosecutors.
The Southern District of New York prosecutors have not yet confirmed whether they will comply with the directive. Any decision to dismiss the case would require formal court approval. The memo also suggests that the case could be revisited after the November 2025 mayoral election but instructs prosecutors to halt all investigative steps until then.
Additionally, Bove’s memo calls for Adams’ security clearance to be reinstated, despite the ongoing legal controversy. Bove, who previously served as Trump’s defense attorney in his criminal trial, stated that the Justice Department reached this decision “without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based,” emphasizing that the move does not discredit the integrity of the prosecutors involved.
The directive follows a recent meeting between Adams’ legal team and federal prosecutors in New York. Adams, a Democrat, has been strengthening ties with Trump and his administration, attending the presidential inauguration last month and traveling to Florida for a private meeting.
In recent weeks, Adams has also directed NYC law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in citywide raids—actions that critics argue contradict New York’s sanctuary city policies. However, the mayor has denied discussing his legal case with Trump.
The memo further claims that Adams was unfairly targeted by the Justice Department during former President Joe Biden’s administration, though Bove did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
Legal experts have criticized the Justice Department’s decision. Professor Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics specialist at New York University Law School, told NBC News that the order to drop the case was “a baseless and offensive slur against the former U.S. attorney and the lawyers who worked on the Adams case.”
Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, welcomed the decision. “As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent—and he would prevail. Today he has,” he said in a statement.
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, which initially brought the case against Adams, has yet to comment on the directive.
