Three senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in New York and Washington resigned on Thursday rather than obey orders from the Trump administration to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The resignations marked a significant pushback against the Trump administration’s leadership at the DOJ. This move came as part of a broader pattern, where Trump’s team has removed prosecutors connected to cases against him and pushed for the release of information about the FBI’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack.
One of the officials, Danielle Sassoon, quit her role as acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, writing in an eight-page letter that she couldn’t dismiss the Adams case. She accused the mayor’s legal team of offering what she saw as a “quid pro quo” in exchange for dropping the charges. In response to her refusal, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former lawyer for Trump, reached out to the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section to push for the dismissal.
The resignations quickly spread. Kevin Driscoll, the top prosecutor in the Public Integrity Section, and John Keller, the acting head of the office, both quit, along with three other prosecutors later on Thursday. The decision to order the dismissal of the Adams case has raised concerns about the DOJ’s independence, particularly for the Southern District of New York, a prestigious office known for fighting corruption.
Sassoon, who was appointed by Trump in January, had previously worked as Chief of Appeals and is known for her conservative views. She said in her resignation letter that she was “baffled” by the rushed decision to drop the charges, especially since it was made without her direct involvement in the final reasoning. Sassoon argued that dismissing the case would only fuel public concerns about the politicization of the DOJ.
The corruption case against Mayor Adams involves allegations that, as Brooklyn Borough president in 2014, he took luxury travel benefits from a Turkish official in exchange for helping to secure permits for a Turkish consular building. Adams, who has pleaded not guilty, has denied the charges, claiming the case is politically motivated due to his outspoken criticism of the Biden administration.
Bove, who issued the order to dismiss the case, later wrote that he did not see any quid pro quo, instead focusing on the argument that Adams needed to concentrate on immigration enforcement. Bove also placed two prosecutors on administrative leave for supporting Sassoon’s decision not to dismiss the case.
The future of the case now lies in the hands of Judge Dale Ho, a Biden appointee, who would need to approve the DOJ’s request to drop the charges. The decision could come after a hearing where more details might be presented.
As of now, there’s no date for the confirmation of Jay Clayton, Trump’s pick to run the U.S. Attorney’s office. Meanwhile, the case against Adams is set to go to trial this spring, unless the charges are dismissed.
