A federal judge threw out the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday, siding with the Justice Department’s unusual request to drop the charges so the mayor could assist with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Judge Dale E. Ho made it clear that the case is gone for good. He rejected prosecutors’ attempt to keep the door open for the charges to be brought back after Adams’ mayoral election. Ho’s ruling “with prejudice” means Adams no longer has to worry about the possibility of the case being revived by the Justice Department, especially if Trump wins re-election.
The judge explained he wasn’t deciding whether Adams was guilty or innocent, but said courts can’t force prosecutors to move forward with a case. Ho rejected the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the case “without prejudice,” which would have left room for the charges to be brought back later.
“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.
