Read Judge Dale Ho's ruling to dismiss NYC Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case
New York City Mayor Eric Adams' federal corruption case was dropped Wednesday, as Judge Dale Ho ruled it should be dismissed with prejudice. That means the charges against the mayor cannot be filed again in the future.
The U.S. Department of Justice instructed the Southern District of New York to drop the case on Feb. 10, saying it hindered the mayor's ability to cooperate with the federal government's immigration crackdown and his ability to run for reelection.
The Justice Department memo set off a legal battle over whether to dismiss the charges -- and how.
The DOJ wanted the case dropped without prejudice, keeping the possibility to re-file after the 2025 mayoral election. New York prosecutors, along with lawmakers and constituents, raised concerns that would make Adams beholden to President Trump's administration.
In his ruling Wednesday, Judge Ho wrote in part, "There may or may not be good reasons to drop this prosecution. But the reasons articulated by DOJ, if taken at face value, are inconsistent with a decision to leave the charges in the Indictment hanging like the proverbial Sword of Damocles over the Mayor."
Here is the full transcript of his ruling:
The mayor and his attorney have repeatedly denied any quid-pro-quo in the decision to dismiss.
"Today finally marks the end of this chapter," Adams said Wednesday afternoon outside Gracie Mansion, going on to say, "Let me be clear, as I've said all along, this case should have never been brought, and I did nothing wrong."
"The case against Eric Adams should have never been brought in the first place — and finally today that case is gone forever," Adam's attorney Alex Spiro wrote in a statement. "From Day 1, the mayor has maintained his innocence and now justice for Eric Adams and New Yorkers has prevailed."
