Interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney Resigns Days After Being Ordered to Drop Case Against Eric Adams
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon resigned Thursday after refusing to obey an order by President Trump’s Justice Department to dismiss the pending indictment charging Mayor Eric Adams with bribery and participating in a scheme to obtain illegal campaign donations.
In her letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi a day before, Sassoon argued that the "law does not support a dismissal," adding that she is "confident that Adams has committed the crimes with which he is charged."
In fact, Sassoon asserted the office was prepared to bring a superseding indictment to a new grand jury alleging that Adams "destroyed and instructed others to destroy evidence and provide false information to the FBI." She also stated prosecutors had found "further factual allegations regarding his participation in a fraudulent straw donor scheme."
Conflict and Controversy
In response, Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, the justice department official who had ordered the dismissal Monday, accused Sassoon of continuing to pursue what he described as "a politically motivated prosecution" against the mayor.
Bove, in a letter to Sassoon sent late Thursday, accepted her resignation and went a step further, ordering that the prosecution team that handled the Adams case be put on administrative leave while the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility opens an investigation into their conduct.
DOJ’s Investigation
Bove noted that DOJ officials would be seizing the prosecutors’ official cell phones and laptops and transferring the prosecution to the Justice Department’s main office, which he said would file the motion to dismiss Adams’ indictment.
Resignation and Repercussions
After that transfer of the case, five other lawyers at the Justice Department also resigned, according to reporting from the New York Times.
The Backstory
On Monday, Bove sent a highly unusual edict to Sassoon, declaring that Adams’ indictment must be terminated because it was interfering with Adams’ ability to help Trump’s top priority initiative of deporting migrants.
The memo took the unprecedented step of linking a criminal justice decision to a policy initiative of the president, quoting one of Trump’s executive orders and voicing "particular concern" about "the impact of the prosecution on Mayor Adams’ ability to support critical ongoing federal efforts to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement."
Sassoon’s Response
In her letter to Bondi arguing to keep the Adams’ case alive, Sassoon stated that the mayor has argued and the Justice Department appears to concede that he "should receive leniency for federal crimes solely because he occupies an important public position and can use that position to assist in the Administration’s policy priorities."
Conclusion
The resignation of Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon has sent shockwaves through the legal community, sparking questions about the motivations behind the Justice Department’s unusual intervention in the Adams case. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen whether the Justice Department’s efforts to drop the charges will be successful, or if the case will proceed as planned.
FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of the case against Eric Adams?
A: The case against Eric Adams accuses him of bribery and participating in a scheme to obtain illegal campaign donations.
Q: Who is Danielle Sassoon?
A: Danielle Sassoon is the former Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney who resigned in response to the Justice Department’s order to drop the case against Eric Adams.
Q: What is the Justice Department’s motive for dropping the case?
A: The Justice Department claims that the case is interfering with Adams’ ability to help with Trump’s top priority initiative of deporting migrants.
Q: What is the current status of the case?
A: The case is currently in limbo, with the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility investigating the prosecution team and the case being transferred to the Justice Department’s main office.
