New York Mayor Eric Adams has formally requested the dismissal of his corruption case, citing “an extraordinary flurry” of leaks by federal prosecutors, his attorney Alex Spiro argued in a court filing Wednesday.
The legal motion comes as Adams backed out of a major mayoral forum in Tribeca, where he was expected to appear alongside other candidates ahead of the upcoming election.
Spiro accused government officials of leaking a February 12 letter from former acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who resigned in protest after the Justice Department dropped bribery and campaign finance charges against Adams. The letter alleged that federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss the case in exchange for Adams’ cooperation with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
“The disclosure of this letter to the press was part of an unprecedented series of leaks, including internal DOJ memos and a resignation letter from one of the lead prosecutors,” Spiro stated. He specifically referenced former Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten, who in his resignation letter claimed that “only a fool or a coward” would have followed orders to drop Adams’ case.
The court filing contends that the leaks violated Adams’ constitutional rights and undermined his ability to receive a fair trial. Spiro accused the Justice Department of prosecutorial misconduct, citing breaches of confidentiality laws, court rules, and DOJ policies.
“Simply put, the government’s conduct has destroyed whatever presumption of innocence Mayor Adams had left,” the filing states.
Judge Dale Ho has not yet granted the Trump administration’s motion to dismiss the case. Instead, he appointed Paul Clement, a former U.S. Solicitor General, to investigate the Justice Department’s motives in dropping the charges.
Mayoral Forum Highlights Adams’ Absence
Meanwhile, Adams’ absence from the D37 Mayoral Forum at Borough of Manhattan Community College became a focal point of the event. His campaign cited legal counsel’s advice for skipping the debate.
The forum featured New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie, former Assemblyman Michael Blake, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, all of whom took swipes at Adams during the event.
“New York City is the greatest city in the world,” Mamdani said. “And it is not because of the leadership, if you can call it that, coming out of City Hall today. We don’t need leaders of the past to take us to the future. It is time for us to turn the page.”
Lander took direct aim at Adams’ absence: “If you can’t come stand before the people who make this city run and answer their questions, then you should not be running for mayor.”
With legal battles mounting and election season heating up, Adams now faces a critical challenge to his political future as the court weighs whether to dismiss the case or move forward with an investigation into his alleged misconduct.
