Senior officials within the Department of Justice (DOJ) have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping their corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, which emerged after Adams voiced criticism against the Biden administration's open border policies, the NY Times reports, citing (as always) anonymous sources.
DOJ officials, through the office of President Trump's new deputy AG, Emil Bove, have also spoken to Adams' defense counsel since Donald Trump took office, the NY Post further confirms.
Adams notably met with Trump on Jan. 17 at the President's West Palm Beach, Florida golf course. The Mayor has denied that his legal woes were discussed during the visit, though Trump did speak about a "weaponized" DOJ, according to a person briefed on the meeting.
Adams' legal team is led by Elon Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro.
Prior to taking office, Trump had discussed the possibility of pardoning Adams, saying he thought the NY Mayor had been "treated pretty unfairly."
Instead of a pardon, however, discussions have pivoted to the DOJ simply dropping the charges, sparing Trump from having to use those pardoning powers, according to the Times, which notes that if prosecutors were to dismiss the case, it would allow Adams to tout his innocence as he seeks reelection.
Responding to the Times' anonymous sources who claim that Adams wouldn't be willing to play ball with Trump's immigration crackdown if he remained under indictment, Spiro strongly denied the suggestion, calling it "a complete lie."
DOJ officials in Washington are expected to meet with Manhattan prosecutors, as well as Adams' team, as soon as this week.
Adams was indicted in September on charges including bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions in an investigation that began in 2021. He has pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence.
The Times admits that it's not unusual for DOJ officials in Washington to discuss high-profile criminal cases with Manhattan prosecutors (Trump case, anyone?) - however there is no indication that officials in the Southern District of NY plan to drop the case. It's also common for defense lawyers in high profile cases to ask senior DOJ officials to scale back or drop prosecutions.