A former prosecutor known for handling the Watergate case has requested that the federal judge overseeing the case against New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams appoint a special counsel. The purpose of this special counsel would be to evaluate the Justice Department’s recent appeal to dismiss the charges against Adams. In a letter directed to Judge Dale E. Ho, attorney Nathaniel Akerman expressed that he felt it was necessary to intervene because the public’s interest was not being represented after three Justice Department lawyers suggested dropping the case last Friday.
Akerman urged the judge to deny the dismissal, asserting that the court should investigate the basis of the Justice Department’s decision. He also suggested that Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who initiated the request for case dismissal, should be made to testify in court about his reasoning. Furthermore, Akerman recommended that the judge might consider appointing an independent special prosecutor to continue the legal proceedings, ensuring access to pertinent grand jury documents and evidence that may be critical to the case. In his letter, Akerman represented Common Cause, a nonpartisan group advocating for election integrity in the United States.
Adams has maintained his innocence in the face of accusations that he accepted over $100,000 in unlawful campaign donations and extravagant travel benefits from a Turkish official, as well as influential business leaders, in exchange for leveraging his authority while serving as the Brooklyn borough president.
This request from Akerman emerged after a rare and contentious public disagreement between Bove and two leading prosecutors from the New York district: interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and Hagan Scotten, who had been leading the prosecution against Adams.
In a significant development, Sassoon resigned alongside five other senior officials from the Justice Department last Thursday. Scotten followed suit the next day, highlighting that Sassoon had rightfully opposed calls to abandon the charges, which could be potentially reinstated post-election.
Akerman noted in his correspondence that the integrity of a democratic system cannot allow the government to use the dismissal of charges as a tool to entice political figures to align with their policies. He strongly criticized the suggestion that the charges be dropped in exchange for Adams’ support on immigration enforcement.
In the backdrop of these developments, Adams has faced pressure from certain factions within the Democratic Party to resign amid the escalating fallout from the Justice Department’s attempt to terminate the case against him. Responding to these events, he confirmed that four of his senior aides had also chosen to resign due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Justice Department’s push for case dismissal and the implications concerning his cooperation with Trump’s immigration policies.
Akerman reflected Sassoon’s sentiments in his remarks, claiming there was compelling evidence derived from internal documents within the Justice Department that indicated the move to dismiss the indictment against Adams was not aligned with public interests and was likely part of a corrupt exchange with the Trump administration. This exchange, as outlined by Akerman, allegedly involved Adams agreeing to improperly assist with immigration enforcement in return for the charges being dropped.
Defending his client, Adams’ attorney Alex Spiro dismissed the accusations of a quid pro quo as a “total lie.” When advising Sassoon to drop the charges a week prior, Bove argued that Adams’ role as mayor was essential for facilitating the Trump administration’s immigration agenda and that clearing the mayor of criminal charges would allow him to campaign effectively for re-election against several challengers without the burden of legal complications hanging over him.
