NEW YORK — A former prosecutor from the Watergate scandal has made a request to a federal judge overseeing the case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, advocating for the appointment of a special counsel to evaluate the Justice Department’s recent move to request the dropping of charges against the mayor. In a letter to Judge Dale E. Ho submitted in a Manhattan federal court, attorney Nathaniel Akerman expressed concern that the public’s interest is not being represented, particularly after the Justice Department’s attorneys in Washington issued their request last Friday.
Akerman, representing the advocacy group Common Cause, argued against dismissing the charges, proposing that the court investigate the reasoning behind the Justice Department’s request and compel Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove to testify about his decision to urge prosecutors to abandon the case. He asserted that, to uphold the integrity of the legal system, the judge might find it necessary to appoint an independent special prosecutor.
In addition to Akerman’s remarks, three former U.S. attorneys also presented their perspectives to Judge Ho, stating that the implications go beyond just one specific case and reflect broader concerns regarding the rule of law and the separation of powers between the Executive and the Judicial branches of the U.S. government. John S. Martin Jr., Robert J. Cleary, and Deirdre M. Daly emphasized the necessity for the court to probe the true motivations behind the Department’s call for dismissal and assess whether those reasons are legitimate or merely a façade.
Should the judge determine that the dismissal is unwarranted, he has several options, including appointing a special prosecutor or directing federal officials to share evidence, potentially including grand jury materials, with state and local legal entities. The former prosecutors indicated that their inquiries might reveal other critical outcomes such as contempt proceedings, criminal referrals, or recommendations for disciplinary actions. They affirmed that the court has various avenues to safeguard the justice system from potential misuse.
The former federal prosecutors also noted that numerous other veterans of the legal system had recently issued or were preparing to issue public statements related to the past week’s turbulent events. As the situation unfolds, Adams has maintained his innocence regarding allegations stemming from his time as Brooklyn borough president, specifically claims that he accepted illegal campaign contributions exceeding $100,000 and other extravagant benefits.
The past week has seen a public dispute between Bove and two high-ranking New York federal prosecutors, resulting in significant personnel changes. Following Thursday’s resignation of interim Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and five other Justice Department officials, assistant U.S. attorney Hagan Scotten, who led the prosecution against Adams, also stepped down the following day. Scotten’s resignation cited Sassoon’s refusal to acquiesce to a demand to terminate the charges, implying a breach of ethical governance practices concerning the prosecution’s integrity.
The mayor is currently facing pressure from some within the Democratic party to resign, coinciding with the departure of four assistants who stepped down amid the fallout from the DOJ’s recent maneuver. Akerman echoed Sassoon’s assertion in his letter, claiming that the Justice Department appeared to accept a proposition from Adams’ attorneys that involved mutual benefits, implying a “quid pro quo” arrangement permitting Adams to assist the Trump administration on immigration in exchange for dropping the corruption charges. Akerman pointed to internal DOJ documents as evidence that the dismissal would not serve the public interest, suggesting a problematic exchange involving the mayor’s cooperation.
Adams’ legal representative, Alex Spiro, quickly dismissed this impropriety assertion as unfounded, labeling it a complete falsehood. Just prior to Sassoon’s compromise, Bove defended his decision, suggesting that having the mayor of such a significant city available for assistance in immigration enforcement justified the request to dismiss the allegations, arguing it would allow Adams to campaign unimpeded for reelection.
