Mayor Adams thanked President Trump’s Division of Justice on Tuesday for transferring to dismiss his public corruption indictment, saying the bizarre step places an finish to “the most difficult” interval in his life.
“I thank the Justice Department for its honesty,” Adams stated at Metropolis Corridor in his first public remarks because the DOJ ordered the Manhattan U.S. lawyer’s workplace to drop his felony case late Monday evening.
“This case,” the mayor added, “will no longer continue.”
The Division of Justice’s transfer, nevertheless, left open the potential of the case returning. Emil Bove, Trump’s former private protection lawyer and now-No. 2 on the Division of Justice, wrote in a Monday evening memo to the Manhattan U.S. lawyer’s workplace that the case in opposition to the mayor must be dismissed “without prejudice,” which means it might be introduced again at a later time.
Bove additionally directed the Manhattan U.S. lawyer’s workplace to after November’s mayoral election launch a “review” into whether or not the Adams case must be introduced again. Within the interim, Bove wrote the Division of Justice is taking no stance on the “strength” of the case in opposition to the mayor.
Nonetheless, Adams stated in his live-streamed six-minute speech that he’s seeking to put his authorized woes within the rearview.
“It’s time to move forward,” he stated.
“But despite the fact that I am no longer facing legal questions, I also understand that many New Yorkers will still question my character, and I know that I must continue to regain your trust. I have learned a lot over the last year and this experience has been humbling.”
Adams delivered the speech just about from the Metropolis Corridor Blue Room with out reporters current to ask questions. He gave the remarks rather than his typical weekly press convention.
The appearing Manhattan U.S. lawyer, Danielle Sassoon, had but to file a movement for dismissal in response to Bove’s request as of early Monday afternoon. A spokesman for her didn’t instantly present remark. If Sassoon information a movement for dismissal, Manhattan Federal Court docket Choose Dale Ho, who presides over Adams’ case, should approve it for it to take impact.
In his Monday evening submitting, Bove wrote the Trump administration expects the dismissal of the case in opposition to the mayor will allow him to be more practical in engaged on immigration points, a important difficulty for the Republican president.
“The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior Administration,” he wrote. “We’re significantly involved concerning the impression of the prosecution on Mayor Adams’ capacity to assist important, ongoing federal efforts ‘to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.’”
Trump, who promised on the 2024 campaign trail to launch “mass deportations” across the country, has since taking office last month dispatched federal agents to perform coordinated immigration raids in U.S. cities, including New York and Chicago, that have so-called “sanctuary laws.”
The laws limit the ways in which local officials can cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Adams, who has for months sought to foster close ties with Trump, started after his indictment last year to lament the city’s sanctuary legal guidelines, arguing they forestall metropolis officers from serving to the feds go after immigrants accused of great crimes. He has stated he’s contemplating utilizing government order to roll again a few of the sanctuary legal guidelines and simply earlier this week launched new steering saying metropolis staff ought to “not interfere” with federal immigration authorities in the event that they attempt to entry to metropolis properties like hospitals and shelters.
Initially Printed: February 11, 2025 at 12:44 PM EST
