The Justice Department has ordered the dismissal of charges against Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams, bringing an abrupt end to a legal challenge hanging over his administration. The decision follows a review of the case, with officials concluding that there was insufficient evidence to pursue the charges further. An official stated that the order is for all charges to be dismissed, and that the dismissal is without prejudice, meaning the charges could be refiled in the future.
On Monday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a letter to the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, directing them to drop the federal case against Mayor Eric Adams and dismiss it without prejudice.
“You are directed, as authorized by the Attorney General, to dismiss the pending charges in United States v. Adams…as soon as is practicable, subject to the following conditions: the defendant must agree in writing to dismissal without prejudice; the defendant must agree in writing that he is not a prevailing party under the Hyde Amendment…and the matter shall be reviewed by the confirmed U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, following the November 2025 mayoral election, based on consideration of all relevant factors," Bove wrote in a memo. “The Justice Department has reached this conclusion without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based, which are issues on which we defer to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at this time.”
Adams pleaded not guilty to bribery, fraud, and other offenses. The indictment alleged that the mayor accepted $100,000 in complimentary plane tickets and luxurious hotel accommodations from wealthy Turkish nationals and at least one government official as part of a corruption scheme that lasted nearly ten years.
Adams claimed the charges were politically motivated and has denied any wrongdoing.
A high-ranking official from the Justice Department stated that the charges will be evaluated once a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney is confirmed. This follows a request from Adams’ legal team to the Justice Department to dismiss the criminal case against him.