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Controversy Surrounding Eric Adams: Hochul Ponders Stripping Adams of Office Due to Resignations of Four Deputies

Several legal professionals opted to depart from the Justice Department instead of obliging with the mandate to discontinue prosecution against Adams.

Governor Hochul Collaborates with ATF Director Dettelbach and NYC Mayor Adams in Delivering...
Governor Hochul Collaborates with ATF Director Dettelbach and NYC Mayor Adams in Delivering Addresses

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Controversy Surrounding Eric Adams: Hochul Ponders Stripping Adams of Office Due to Resignations of Four Deputies

In a twist of events, four deputy mayors in New York City resigned on February 17, supposedly due to allegations that Mayor Eric Adams was working with the Trump administration to relax immigration enforcement in exchange for dropping corruption charges against him. This unexpected turn of events has left Governor Kathy Hochul considering drastic measures, including potentially removing Adams from office, and seeking a meeting with key city leaders to discuss the administration's future.

Timeline

February 17- Four deputy mayors, including First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and deputies Meera Joshi, Anne Williams-Isom, and Chauncey Parker, resigned in response to the ongoing controversy. The New York Times reported that the resignations were a result of the former acting U.S. attorney's accusations that Adams had agreed to cooperate with Trump's immigration enforcement in exchange for the Justice Department dropping corruption charges against him.

February 14- The acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and other DOJ officials, including Edward Sullvian, a senior litigation counsel, filed a request with a Manhattan Judge to drop the case against Adams. This request, signed off by Sullvian, sparked the resignation of Adams' lead prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, who criticized the move as going against ethical legal practices.

February 13- The acting U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, Danielle Sassoon, resigned over the request to drop the charges against Adams, expressing her confusion over the quick and questionable decision-making process. This sparked a wave of resignations, including from John Keller, the head of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, and three other members of that section. The acting head of the Criminal Division, Kevin Driscoll, also resigned in the following days.

February 10- Emil Bove, the acting Deputy Attorney General, requested the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York dismiss the corruption charges against Adams, citing the timing of the charges, which were brought close to the 2025 mayoral primary, as limiting Adams' cooperation with Trump's immigration policy changes.

Have The Charges Been Dropped?

As of now, the federal judge has yet to approve the decision to drop the charges. The New York Times reported on February 14 that judges have "little discretion" when it comes to not accepting the request. However, a judge may hold a hearing to question officials on why the charges are being dropped.

What Was Adams Charged With?

In late September, Eric Adams was charged with bribery, wire fraud, and campaign finance-related crimes. Prosecutors accused him of receiving illegal campaign donations from the Turkish government to his 2021 mayoral campaign, and of accepting other illegal donations as far back as 2014 when he was Brooklyn borough president. The indictment alleged that an unnamed senior official in the "Turkish diplomatic establishment" facilitated donations to Adams' campaign and gave him free or discounted Turkish airline flights and other gifts, in exchange for Adams pressuring the city’s fire department to approve a high-rise consulate building for Turkey. Adams pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Why Did Emil Bove Ask For The Charges To Be Dropped?

Bove argued that the charges were filed too close to the 2025 mayoral primary, limiting how cooperative Adams could be with immigration policy changes from Trump's administration. He ordered the charges be dropped without prejudice, meaning they could be brought again in the future.

The memo instructing the charges be dismissed stated that the dismissal had nothing to do with the merits of the case or the integrity of the prosecutors, but rather that "the pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to... illegal immigration and violent crime." Trump has made immigration reform and mass deportations a key focus of his presidency, and his administration has been trying to make an example of sanctuary cities, places that have laws in place to limit local police from cooperating with federal immigration agents, by conducting deportation raids in those cities. Adams has been getting closer to Trump following his election and inauguration, and on February 13, he announced he would be signing an executive order to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to return to Rikers Island, a well-known prison in the Bronx, which hasn't been allowed since 2015 due to the city's sanctuary laws.

What Has Trump Said About Eric Adams?

Trump said in a press conference on February 13 that he did not request Adams' case be dropped and that he knew nothing about it. However, after meeting with Adams in December, he suggested he may pardon Adams because he was being "treated pretty unfairly," but he said he didn't know the details of the case and would need to review it.

  1. Amidst the controversy surrounding Mayor Eric Adams' alleged cooperation with the Trump administration, city constituents have expressed concerns about potential business disruptions due to the ongoing dismissal alerts related to the mayor's corruption charges, which were initially scheduled for the 2025 mayoral primary.
  2. The sudden dismissal of four deputy mayors and subsequent resignations of key city leaders have prompted Mayor Adams to consider reassuring his constituents about the city's future business operations and his commitment to serving the city, despite the ongoing controversy surrounding his corruption charges.
  3. With the 2025 mayoral election looming, some city political analysts believe that the dismissal of Adams' corruption charges and the controversy surrounding his alleged cooperation with the Trump administration may impact his reelection campaign, potentially leading to increased focus on city business policies and potential changes in leadership.

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