Your Guide to the Trump-Adams Deal That Pushed 7 Prosecutors to Resign
Up until Feb. 10, Mayor Eric Adams was running for re-election while preparing for a federal corruption trial set to begin in April.
All that changed when Emil Bove, acting Deputy Attorney General in the Trump Justice Department, ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to dismiss all the pending charges against Adams.
Since then, seven Justice Department lawyers who refused to carry out Bove’s orders have quit, four top deputy mayors have stepped down — and a long list of elected officials, union heads, and good government watchdogs have called on Adams to resign or be removed from office.
Memory refresh: What charges did Adams face before the Trump Justice Department stepped in?
In September, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office unsealed a federal indictment charging Adams with bribery and campaign finance fraud. The allegations include that he accepted $120,000 in travel perks, such as airline upgrades and free hotel stays, and that he solicited and accepted illegal "straw donations" — including some from foreign sources — in a scheme to obtain $10 million in public matching funds for his 2021 mayoral campaign.
How did the DOJ make those charges go away? Can they even do that?
They can’t without a judge’s permission. Four days after Bove ordered Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon to dismiss the case — and Sassoon refused and resigned in protest — Bove filed a formal motion to dismiss with Manhattan Federal Judge Judge Dale Ho.
What does the Trump administration get out of this, anyway?
We can’t know for sure, and likely books will be written speculating on an answer. Here’s what we know from the paper trail: While Sassoon labels this arrangement a quid pro quo, and Spiro denied it (more on that in the next section), Bove’s initial memo specifically stated that in deciding to seek dismissal of Adams’ case, the Justice Department was "particularly concerned 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."
A bunch of people resigned over this, right? What does that mean?
Seven career prosecutors refused to be part of Bove’s order and resigned, including Sassoon. And that has made the case much more notorious in a number of ways.
Hold on, "with prejudice," "without prejudice" — I’m lost. What do those mean?
On Feb. 26, Adams’ lawyer for the first time demanded that the case be dismissed "with prejudice" due to what he labeled "prosecutorial misconduct." That means it couldn’t be reopened in the future.
What happens once the judge decides whether to approve or reject the dismissal motion?
There are several options available to Judge Ho: he could approve the dismissal without prejudice as is, which would leave the possibility of a reactivated case hanging over Adams’ head as he runs for re-election this year. He could grant Spiro’s motion to dismiss it "with prejudice," which would preclude further federal prosecution of the charges specified in the September indictment. He could also reject the dismissal motion and appoint a special counsel to continue the case, similar to the way a federal court did when the Trump Justice Department moved to withdraw the plea of former Trump aide Michael Flynn. And there is another possibility: another prosecutor, such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, could step in and re-litigate the case.
Conclusion
The Trump-Adams deal has pushed seven prosecutors to resign, and the city is reeling from the political fallout. The case has raised questions about the Trump administration’s motives and the potential for quid pro quo arrangements. The outcome of the case will have significant implications for the city and the nation, and it remains to be seen what will happen next.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the charges against Mayor Adams?
- The charges include bribery and campaign finance fraud, involving alleged acceptance of $120,000 in travel perks and illegal "straw donations."
- Why did the Justice Department drop the charges?
- The Justice Department dropped the charges to allow Adams to focus on assisting the Trump administration in its signature initiative of deporting undocumented individuals.
- What is the significance of the "without prejudice" and "with prejudice" language?
- "Without prejudice" means the charges could be reinstated at any time, while "with prejudice" means the charges could not be reopened in the future.
- What are the potential consequences for Mayor Adams?
- If the charges are dropped without prejudice, Adams could still face further prosecution in the future. If the charges are dropped with prejudice, he would be cleared of all wrongdoing and could continue his mayoral term.
