NYC Mayor Eric Adams addresses DOJ order to drop corruption charges, vows to earn back trust
NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivered remarks Tuesday, less than 24 hours after the U.S. Department of Justice ordered federal prosecutors in New York to drop their charges against him.
Adams spoke for about five minutes and did not take questions. He called the case against him an unnecessary ordeal and vowed to put it behind him and move forward.
"I never broke the law and I never would"
"As I said from the outset, I never broke the law and I never would... I would never put any personal benefit above my solemn responsibility as your mayor. It is worth repeating the facts because many sensational and false claims have been made. So let me be clear: I never asked anyone to break the law on my behalf or on behalf of my campaign. Never," Adams said. "And I absolutely never traded my power as an elected official for any personal benefit. No witness ever came forward publicly to make claims against me. None of the baseless threats from prosecutors of new charges and new evidence ever materialized. This case will no longer continue."
Adams then thanked the Justice Department for "its honesty."
"Now, we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city. It's time to move forward," he said.
The mayor said despite the DOJ siding him with, he understands that many New Yorkers will continue to question his character and ability to lead the city. He vowed to earn their trust, admitting the experience was "humbling."
Adams said he knows what it is important, namely New Yorkers and their future, and then went on to tout some of what he says is his administration's accomplishments, including tackling crime, increasing affordable housing and jobs, and the handling of the migrant crisis.
"Hidden beneath all the shocking headlines, rumors and accusations, all the innuendos and insinuations, the real news is the women and men of my administration have delivered for the working people of New York, just as I promised we would. Those are the facts," Adams said.
The mayor said he'll continue to use that very formula to restore the public's faith in him.
"If you want to know who I am, all you have to know about me is where I am from. Who I am is not in the headlines. It is in my history. It's the same place as you, working class, struggling to survive and in love with this city, even when it lets us down," Adams said, adding, "And that's why I fought for you and will keep fighting for you, because I am you. And that is why you can trust me to keep moving this city forward."
"You are directed... to dismiss the pending charges"
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo to prosecutors in the Southern District of New York telling them to abandon the charges.
"You are directed, as authorized by the Attorney General, to dismiss the pending charges," he wrote.
Bove said the department "reached this conclusion without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based," and the order "in no way calls into question the integrity and efforts" of the prosecutors who brought the case.
Instead, he said the "timing of the charges" and the former U.S. attorney who brought the case created "appearances of impropriety," and the investigation "has unduly restricted Mayor Adams' ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime."
The mayor's defense attorney, Alex Spiro, took an immediate victory lap, saying, "As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent and he would prevail. Today, he has."
Bove added the charges against the mayor can be reconsidered by the Southern District of New York after the November 2025 mayoral election.
The decision to drop the charges will still need to be submitted by prosecutors and then approved by the judge overseeing the case.
Adams cooperating with immigration enforcement
Adams has recently appeared to be cozying up to the president, including a meeting in Florida before the Mr. Trump officially took office. Mr. Trump had previously suggested he would be open to pardoning Adams, but the mayor said at the time they did not discuss his legal case.
Days later, Adams canceled his Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day appearances to attend Mr. Trump's inauguration. The mayor then returned to Washington, D.C. for the National Prayer Breakfast last week.
As federal immigration agents step up enforcement operations across the country, New York has largely avoided being targeted by the administration. When the Justice Department sued Chicago and the state of Illinois over their immigration policies last week, City Hall sources told CBS News New York they believed New York was spared because of the mayor's relationship with the White House.
As the Trump administration continues its immigration crackdown, sources tell CBS News New York it is probably federal agents will work alongside the NYPD on immigration. Border czar Tom Homan is expected to meet with Adams on Thursday.
Adams has stressed ICE operations in the city are targeting violent criminals, but his willingness to cooperate with federal authorities has raised alarms from fellow lawmakers and advocacy groups.
New York is a "sanctuary city," meaning local officials and resources can't be used to aid civil immigration enforcement, with exceptions for violent criminals.
A memo Adams issued to city agencies before the inauguration outlined how city officials should interact with federal immigration agents, including a line that said, "[If] you reasonably feel threatened or fear for your safety, you should give the officer the information they have asked for or let them enter the site."
However, Adams' critics said the memo created more confusion and opened the door for city officials to violate the sanctuary city laws.
The mayor's office now says it is in the process of finalizing guidance for city workers, saying in a statement, "We want to make it clear that city employees should not put themselves or those in our care in harm's way by interfering with law enforcement if they persist."
Adams will join the mayors of Boston, Chicago and Denver to testify before Congress at a House Oversight Committee hearing on sanctuary cities next month.
Adams originally indicted on federal bribery charges
Adams was indicted last September on five counts of bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial was set to start in April.
The mayor was accused of accepting illegal campaign donations and luxury travel upgrades from a Turkish official and foreign nationals, as well as using straw donors to access money from the city's matching funds program.
More than a dozen members of his administration resigned or retired amid the multiple probes into his office, and at least two others are facing criminal charges.
Last month, federal prosecutors hinted more charges may be coming against the mayor, saying in a court filing they "continued to identify additional individuals involved in Adams' conduct, and to uncover additional criminal conduct by Adams." Court records showed the grand jury in the case heard from new witnesses as recently as December.
In late January, DOJ lawyers met with Manhattan federal prosecutors and Adams' attorneys, where senior officials discussed possibly dropping the charges.
