The judge ruled that he could not revive the case, accusing him of what he described as an obvious Quid Pro Quo arrangement.
A US federal judge has forever dismissed a corruption charge against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
A Justice Department request in February distracted Republican President Donald Trump from helping deport the case, which sent a shockwave through the politics of the most populous US.
Eight federal prosecutors urged them to step down from concern that the administration was violating long-standing norms by allowing political considerations to influence prosecutors’ decisions.
In a 78-page ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Dale Hoe in Manhattan said U.S. courts lack the authority to pursue charges from prosecutors, and therefore have no choice but to dismiss the charges.
The judge ruled that the case could not be revived, accusing him of what he described as an obvious Quid Pro Quo arrangement.
“All bargains here: dismissal of the charges in exchange for concessions on immigration policy,” Ho wrote in his decision.
Ho’s decision to dismiss the case “on bias” means that federal prosecutors cannot revise the charges and remove what legal experts say can use to harness the mayor’s policy decisions.
The mayor was facing allegations of wire fraud, bribery conspiracy and solicitation of illegal campaign contributions from Turkish sources.
“Today, we’re turning the page,” Adams said at his TV address, calling the case “baseless.”
Cooperation with Trump
Prosecutors under the Trump administration suddenly tried to withdraw the lawsuit after Adams signaled cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. This is a reversal of New York, which acts as a sanctuary city, meaning that local police and authorities will not help track undocumented immigrants.
In March, Adams signed an order that allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to access the Rikers Island Prison Complex.
Critics argue that the Trump administration used prosecutors as leverage to ensure the mayor’s compliance with immigration. The termination led several Justice Department lawyers to resign in protest.
Ho refused to assert prosecutors’ misconduct claims, but warned against conditional investigations on political submission.
The argument that probes could be shelved to avoid hinder federal policies was “intrusive,” he said, suggesting officials might receive “special distributions” to match the White House priorities.
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