A federal judge has officially dismissed the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, putting an end to months of legal uncertainty.
Judge Dale Ho granted the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to drop all charges but did so “with prejudice,” meaning Adams cannot be retried on the same charges in the future. The DOJ had initially sought this condition, ensuring that the case would not be revived later.
Legal Battle Comes to an End
The case against Adams had been looming since September, when he was indicted on five counts of bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance violations. However, after legal scrutiny and external pressure, the DOJ decided to drop the charges, citing concerns that the case was interfering with Adams’ ability to govern and his 2025 mayoral campaign.
The judge’s decision follows a process in which Paul Clement, a court-appointed “friend of the court,” argued that dismissing the case with prejudice was necessary to prevent any perception that Adams remained under political pressure.
“The case against Eric Adams should have never been brought in the first place—and finally, today, that case is gone forever,” said Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro.
The DOJ also defended its decision to drop the case, calling it a “waste of resources” and emphasizing its focus on more pressing national security threats. However, in the initial dismissal request, the DOJ made it clear that the decision was not based on a lack of evidence—a detail that fueled criticism from Adams’ opponents.
Judge Ho expressed concerns over the DOJ’s rationale for dropping the case, suggesting it was politically motivated.
“Everything here smacks of a bargain—dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” Ho wrote in his ruling.
He noted that while the DOJ could have left the door open to retrying Adams in the future, their insistence on dismissing the case with prejudice suggested a deeper, possibly political, motivation behind the decision.
Speaking from Gracie Mansion, Adams called the case “baseless” and expressed relief that the city could now “move forward.”
“As I’ve said all along, this case should have never been brought, and I did nothing wrong,” Adams said.
Before leaving the press conference, Adams held up a copy of Government Gangsters, a book by FBI Director Kash Patel, and urged the public to read it, implying concerns over government corruption.
The ruling comes at a critical moment for Adams, who faces a Thursday deadline to file petitions for the New York City Democratic mayoral primary.
Now free of legal jeopardy, Adams is expected to officially launch his re-election campaign and has already committed to participating in a mayoral candidates forum hosted by the National Action Network.
“He looks forward to engaging with fellow candidates and community leaders to discuss the future of our great city,” said an Adams campaign spokesperson.
With the charges permanently dismissed, Adams can also distance himself from President Donald Trump, whose administration was widely suspected of using the case to exert pressure on Adams’ immigration policies.
Adams immediately pushed back on claims that he had been influenced by Trump:
“I do not know who you think I’m under the finger of, but I’m under the finger of Eric Adams—the mayor of New York City.”
Opponents Slam the Dismissal as a “Backroom Deal”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams: “Tremendous damage has been done to this city under Adams’ leadership. The sooner we move on, the better.”
Mayoral candidate Michael Blake: “This is disgusting. Adams illegally schemed to finance his campaign, and now he gets off because of a deal with Trump? Appalling.”
City Comptroller Brad Lander: “The ruling does not change the facts: Eric Adams works for Donald Trump, not New Yorkers.”
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: “This reeks of a quid pro quo. Adams should resign in disgrace.”
Resignations Shake the DOJ and City Hall
The decision to drop the case triggered a wave of resignations, both in Adams’ administration and within the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Danielle Sassoon, the then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned in protest, stating that the case was being dropped “for political reasons, not legal ones.”
Four New York City deputy mayors also stepped down, citing concerns over Adams’ leadership.
Governor Kathy Hochul held emergency meetings about Adams’ future but ultimately decided not to remove him from office, instead limiting his powers to restore public trust.