NEW YORK — A federal judge has put a halt to the corruption trial involving New York City Mayor Eric Adams, enlisting legal counsel to offer insights regarding the Justice Department’s contentious petition to dismiss the charges against the mayor.
Judge Dale E. Ho announced through a written order that he would not make a ruling until after mid-March on whether to grant the request to terminate the case against the city’s mayor, who faces scrutiny in light of the ongoing allegations.
On Friday, Ho appointed Paul Clement, a noted former U.S. solicitor general during President George W. Bush’s administration, to articulate arguments concerning the government’s proposal to drop the charges.
The judge recognized the importance of adversarial discussions within court proceedings, especially in cases with unusual circumstances or significant public implications, highlighting that the prior hearing lacked this essential component.
During the hearing, Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove put forth his reasons for the withdrawal request, arguing that the timing coincided closely with Adams’ campaign for re-election and could detract from his role in supporting law-and-order initiatives under the Trump administration.
Adams acknowledged the possibility that the charges could be reinstated later, which has led some legal analysts to theorize that his cooperation with Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts might play a role in his defense.
The mayor was indicted back in September on accusations of receiving over $100,000 in illicit campaign contributions and travel benefits from a Turkish official and others, who allegedly tried to exert influence during his tenure as Brooklyn borough president.
With multiple contenders challenging him in the upcoming Democratic primary, he has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains his innocence.
Judge Ho expressed a desire for all parties, including Clement, to examine the legal criteria for dismissing charges, particularly regarding what materials a court could consider beyond the initial motion and in what situations further analysis or procedural steps would be necessary.
He additionally requested clarification on when it is acceptable to dismiss charges that cannot later be reinstated, establishing March 7 as the deadline for briefs and March 14 for any potential oral arguments.
In his order, Judge Ho referred to a precedent case from 1977 where a judge opted not to comply with the government’s dismissal request.
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, remarked that Clement, being a conservative attorney, would be a prudent and impartial advisor for a judge with limited experience in criminal matters.
Later in the week, three former U.S. attorneys from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey sent a letter to Judge Ho advocating that he consider perspectives beyond just those of the government and the mayor when determining the way forward.
On the same day, Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro, pointed to recent comments made by Attorney General Pam Bondi at a political event, where she almost dismissed the indictment as “incredibly weak” and supported its dismissal to end alleged governmental misuse.
The Justice Department has not issued a comment regarding the unfolding situation. According to the judge’s remarks, Adams will not be obligated to attend upcoming hearings, which could potentially alleviate some of the public relations challenges he faces as he strives to demonstrate that these legal issues are not obstructing his responsibilities as mayor.
In recent times, Adams has attempted to maintain a composed demeanor as concerns regarding his impartiality have sparked significant political turmoil.
Just this week, four of his top aides stepped down from their positions, while Governor Kathy Hochul announced that, for the time being, she would not take action to remove Adams from office. Instead, she plans to introduce legislation for increased state oversight of City Hall to help restore public trust.
Bove’s initial plea to the former interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon to withdraw charges was declined, leading to her resignation — she accuses Bove of offering a quid pro quo suggesting that help from Adams in immigration matters would follow such a dismissal.
Hagan Scotten, another prosecutor, boldly stated in his resignation letter that only “a fool” or “a coward” would acquiesce to Bove’s demands, affirming that he would not be one to comply.
In total, seven prosecutors, including five high-ranking officials from the Justice Department in Washington, had resigned prior to Bove’s dismissal request, alongside two additional prosecutors from the Washington office.
