New York City Mayor Eric Adams will avoid prison time after a federal judge permanently dismissed his criminal case following pressure from the Trump administration that prosecutors drop his corruption charges, BBC reports.
Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho tossed the case “with prejudice,” meaning the Department of Justice (DOJ) won’t have the opportunity to refile the charges against Adams based on the same evidence. Ho said that while some people will find his 78-page decision “undoubtedly” unsatisfying, his decision ensured that the administration could not use the indictment as “leverage” over Adams or the city of New York.
“Dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents,” the judge wrote.
The corruption charges resulted in Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor resigning after accusing the mayor of issuing a deal with the Trump administration in exchange for immigration enforcement.
According to the New York Daily News, Ho appointed independent lawyer Paul Clement to advise him on the situation, recommending the judge dismiss the case for good. The former solicitor general under President George W. Bush labeled the narrative of the mayor having an alliance with Trump over New Yorkers as “deeply troubling.”
However, acting deputy U.S. attorney general Emil Bove, appointed by Trump, ordered New York prosecutors to drop the case against Adams, arguing the case “restricted” the mayor’s ability to address key goals of the new administration like “illegal immigration and violent crime.”
Adams’ aligning with Trump has led to harsh criticism from New Yorkers and immigration advocates. Things took a hard turn when Adams appeared on Fox & Friends alongside Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who mentioned being “up [the mayor’s] butt” if he failed to comply with the Trump administration while seeking to carry out deportations.
Adams was charged with conspiracy, fraud, soliciting illegal campaign contributions, and bribery in September 2024 after being accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 from Turkish citizens in exchange for favors. Following the dismissal, Adams said the case “should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong.”
With the ruling coming less than three months before the June 2025 NYC mayoral primary race, Adams he will run for re-election not as a Democrat, but as an independent. He mentioned wanting to rally a campaign on “a solid base of people” outside of city limits of Manhattan, with a focus on ethnic minorities who helped him win his first election in 2021.
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