New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ fight to dismiss corruption charges intensifies as his lawyers accuse prosecutors of leaking sensitive documents to undermine his constitutional rights.
His own party hates him, and it’s not because of the charges…it’s because he’s supportive of President Trump.
At a Glance
- Mayor Adams’ attorney seeks complete dismissal of corruption case due to alleged prosecutorial misconduct
- Attorneys claim government officials leaked confidential documents, including internal Justice Department communications
- A controversial leaked letter suggested a potential deal between DOJ and Adams regarding immigration policies
- Seven prosecutors reportedly resigned rather than comply with DOJ’s dismissal order
- Judge Dale Ho has appointed an outside attorney to investigate the government’s motives
Constitutional Rights at Stake
Attorneys for New York City Mayor Eric Adams have filed a motion requesting a federal judge dismiss his criminal corruption case entirely. Led by high-profile lawyer Alex Spiro, the legal team has accused the Department of Justice of engaging in “an extraordinary flurry” of leaks that violated Adams’ constitutional rights and undermined his presumption of innocence.
Spiro specifically pointed to “someone within the government” as responsible for leaking sensitive documents, including a letter from then-acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon that suggested potential wrongdoing by both the Mayor and the Justice Department. This conduct, according to Adams’ legal team, constitutes serious prosecutorial misconduct deserving immediate court intervention.
At the center of the controversy is a leaked letter from former Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon to Attorney General Pam Bondi. The document allegedly contained false accusations against Adams and suggested a quid pro quo arrangement between the Department of Justice and the Mayor regarding immigration enforcement policies – an arrangement Adams’ attorneys vehemently deny ever existed.
“To be sure, the February 12 letter, and the decision to leak it, were last acts of desperation in defense of a meritless case that never should have been pursued in the first place,” Adams’ lawyers Alex Spiro and William Burck wrote in their court filing.
Additional leaked materials included internal Justice Department communications and a resignation letter from former prosecutor Hagan Scotten. These documents have created significant media attention and public speculation about the case, potentially tarnishing the Mayor’s reputation regardless of the legal outcome.
The unusual case took another dramatic turn when multiple prosecutors resigned rather than follow the Department of Justice’s directive to dismiss the charges without prejudice – a move that would allow potential refiling of charges in the future. According to court documents, these resignations included Sassoon, who expressed a “self-proclaimed confidence in Mayor Adams’s guilt” despite the DOJ’s decision.
Sassoon’s leaked letter allegedly revealed prosecutors were “planning to re-indict Mayor Adams, including on a new and equally baseless obstruction charge,” suggesting an unusual level of determination to pursue the case despite higher-level DOJ decisions.
The Adams legal team argues that these resignations and subsequent leaks reflect problematic motivations within the prosecution team and further justify a dismissal with prejudice, which would prevent any future charges based on the same allegations.
It almost feels like he’s getting the Trump treatment, doesn’t it?
