At least seven prosecutors in New York and Washington resigned rather than drop the corruption prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, so the Justice Department official who gave the order put his own signature on the motion Friday. Emil Bove, an acting deputy attorney general, gave a court in New York the same reason for the decision that he had told the lawyers who quit, the New York Times reports: A trial would impair the mayor's ability to carry out President Trump's immigration policies.
Bove, who previously was a personal defense lawyer for Trump, had called in the remaining two dozen or so members of the Justice Department's public integrity unit in an effort to find someone to file the motion to dismiss. He conveyed to them that anyone refusing to sign it could be fired, while anyone willing to sign might be promoted, per the Washington Post. In the end, he came up with two cosigners: Edward Sullivan, a public corruption prosecutor; and Toni Bacon, acting chief of the department's criminal division.
Whether to agree to dismiss charges is up to US District Judge Dale E. Ho. Federal judges have little leeway on such motions, though analysts say he might object to the fact that the Justice Department justification has nothing to do with the law or the evidence, per the Times, and refuse to drop the case. "Judge Ho could say this is a politically motivated decision and it affronts the grand jury process and the integrity of the court," said Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University School of Law. If so, the ruling would be subject to appeal.
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At the least, Ho could call a hearing and push Justice Department lawyers to explain their decision. The motion asks that the charges be dismissed in such a way that they could be brought again later. That would give the Trump administration leverage over Adams as it demands he enact its immigration policies, the Post points out. (More Justice Department stories.)
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