US Attorney Resignations Highlight Tensions in Justice Department Over Eric Adams Case

Three senior Justice Department officials in New York and Washington resigned on Thursday in protest against the Trump administration's orders to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

This wave of resignations marked a significant rebuke of President Donald Trump's team, who have been involved in various controversial actions since taking office, including firing prosecutors related to cases against Trump.

Danielle Sassoon, acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned via an eight-page letter, stating that Mayor Adams' attorneys had sought a "quid pro quo" agreement regarding immigration assistance if the case was dismissed.

After Sassoon resisted signing the dismissal of the Adams case, acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove escalated the situation by ordering the public integrity section at Justice Department headquarters to intervene.

This led to the resignation of Kevin Driscoll, the chief prosecutor in the public integrity section, and John Keller, the acting head of the office. Other prosecutors also followed suit, further emphasizing the discontent within the department over the directive to drop the case.

The Justice Department's order has raised concerns about the autonomy of the US attorney's office, which is responsible for addressing corruption in the nation's largest city. Matthew Podolsky is now serving as the acting US attorney.

Prior to her resignation, Sassoon explained her bafflement at the decision to dismiss the charges against Adams. She criticized the lack of consultation in the decision-making process and noted that dismissing the case might fuel suspicions of politicization within the Department of Justice.

Bove's memo indicated the political motivations behind the dismissal, citing Adams' need to focus on issues related to illegal immigration and violent crime. Adams' legal team argued that the charges hindered his ability to perform as mayor.

During a recent meeting involving Adams' attorneys and Justice Department officials, Sassoon stated that discussions were held regarding alleged quid pro quo offers, although Bove denied this characterization in his subsequent memo.

Sassoon further reported that prosecutors had been considering additional charges against Adams for obstructing the investigation by allegedly instructing others to provide false information to the FBI.

The Justice Department last year charged Adams with public corruption, marking a historic prosecution of a sitting mayor. The allegations include accepting luxury travel benefits from a Turkish official during his tenure as Brooklyn Borough president, with the case set to go to trial this spring.

Adams has maintained that the charges are politically motivated, asserting they stem from his criticisms of the Biden administration's handling of migrant issues.

This situation illustrates the turmoil within the Justice Department and the potential impacts of political motivations on legal processes.