The Justice Department's decision to abandon the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams has triggered a wave of resignations, with at least six high-ranking officials refusing to endorse the dismissal, according to sources.
Three supervisory officials within the DOJ's Public Integrity Section have resigned in protest, joining former acting US Attorney for Manhattan, Danielle Sassoon, and two other leaders of the section, which handles sensitive political corruption cases.
Sassoon's resignation followed a letter she sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to reconsider dropping the case against Adams, a move initially ordered by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
Sassoon argued that Bove's justifications for dismissal weren't in the public interest and contradicted principles of impartiality and fairness. Her letter implied that DOJ leadership was aware of a potential quid pro quo, with Adams' attorneys suggesting his support for Trump's immigration policies would increase if the indictment was dropped.
Sassoon characterized this as an "improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal." She was appointed by Trump and her resignation escalated tensions between the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office and DOJ leadership.
Bove's memo directing Sassoon to dismiss the charges has not yet resulted in a formal court filing. Sassoon's letter detailed a meeting with Bove and Adams' counsel, alleging a proposed quid pro quo and Bove's subsequent attempt to confiscate meeting notes. She criticized the decision to reward Adams' "opportunistic" policy stances with dismissal.
Adams' lawyer denied any quid pro quo, while Sassoon's letter indicated the U.S. Attorney's Office had planned to strengthen the case with an obstruction conspiracy charge based on alleged evidence destruction and false statements to the FBI.
Sassoon questioned Bove's rationale that the indictment hindered Adams' immigration enforcement efforts, highlighting the unequal treatment compared to other officials and defendants.
The DOJ intended to reassign the case to the Public Integrity Section in Washington, but this led to the resignations of the section's acting head, John Keller, and his superior, Kevin Driscoll. The future of the case remains uncertain.
Bove criticized Sassoon's refusal to comply, accusing her of insubordination and suggesting she had proposed a presidential pardon for Adams. He denied any quid pro quo and accused Sassoon's office of endangering the city.
Bove also placed the assistant U.S. attorneys involved on leave pending investigation, revoking their device access and ordering record preservation. Adams, who previously pleaded not guilty to bribery and campaign finance charges, has reportedly grown closer to Trump. While Trump denied ordering the case dropped, Bove's letter reportedly suggested the case was politically motivated and hampered Adams' cooperation with immigration enforcement. Despite the dismissal being without prejudice, Adams' lawyer declared the case "over."
