U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil dismissed the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams “with prejudice.” This ruling prohibits the Department of Justice (DOJ) from bringing similar charges in the future. The dismissal is the latest of a barrage of accusations leveled against Adams. These include campaign finance violations, including illegal in-kind campaign donations and bribery related to his 2021 mayoral campaign.
In some ways this is surprising, given that the DOJ under President Joe Biden brought the case against Adams. They claim he took illegal donations from overseas actors and lavish travel accommodations starting as far back as 2016 when he was borough president of Brooklyn. These grave accusations even included suggestions that an undersecretary of Turkey’s diplomatic corps helped coordinate campaign contributions to Adams.
In a major defeat to the DOJ, Judge Dale Ho denied the DOJ’s first request. This request was for the dismissal of the case “without prejudice,” which would have allowed for re-filing of charges in the future. Ho worried that there would be an appearance of impropriety in granting such a dismissal.
“That appearance is inevitable, and it counsels in favor of dismissal with prejudice,” – Judge Dale Ho
The dismissal came after a meeting that included Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Emil Bove and lawyers representing Adams. Our time together at this important meeting was just the beginning. It undoubtedly shaped the government’s decision to close permanently the case against the mayor.
Adams was up against a tough legal environment. This compelled the resignation of seven federal prosecutors in protest over the DOJ’s handling of the case. They protested what they saw as improper influence to seek a voluntary dismissal without prejudice. Danielle Sassoon, Adams’ former acting U.S. Attorney, said Adams’ legal team offered the federal government a quid pro quo deal in return for dismissing the case. His attorney, Alex Spiro, categorically refuted this accusation.
The indictment against Adams uncovers a scheme that lasted for 10 years. It entails campaign contributions and bribery, galling ethics violations throughout his vice presidency and well into his presidential run. Adams made things worse by seeking to court the approval of former President Donald Trump. He was hoping for either a dismissal of the entire case or, failing that, an eventual pardon.
Even during this entire process, Adams has adamantly denied any wrongdoing on the allegations. The backdrop of political maneuvering has drawn scrutiny not only toward him but toward the DOJ’s handling of the case under different presidential administrations.
The stakes of this dismissal are high, both for Adams’s administration and for the council as a bellwether of the larger political climate in New York City. With the case behind him, Adams can get to work on what should be his primary responsibility as mayor. He no longer has to stare down the possibility of being federally charged.