Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

A federal judge dismissed New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case on Wednesday, acquiescing to the Justice Department's extraordinary request to set aside criminal charges so the Democrat could help with President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

The judge, though, denied prosecutors the ability to potentially bring the criminal case back after the mayoral election. Judge Dale E. Ho's order to dismiss the case "with prejudice" spares Adams from having to govern in a way that pleases Trump, or potentially risk having the Republican's Justice Department revive the charges.

"In light of DOJ's rationales, 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.

"To be clear, the Court again emphasizes that it does not express any opinion as to the merits of the case or whether the prosecution of Mayor Adams 'should' move forward," Ho wrote.

Ho acknowledged that his power in this situation was limited, writing that courts cannot "force the Department of Justice to prosecute a defendant."