The Justice Department has directed federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) to drop the bribery case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to a letter from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove issued Monday.

It remains unclear how Danielle Sassoon, the acting U.S. Attorney for SDNY, will respond to the directive.

Adams, who pleaded not guilty, was facing a five-count indictment alleging that he accepted luxury travel gifts over several years in exchange for influencing the New York Fire Department (FDNY) to approve the opening of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan, despite safety concerns raised by inspectors.

His trial on federal corruption charges was scheduled to begin on April 21.

Despite the defense’s insistence on Adams’ innocence, sources familiar with the letter said  that the Justice Department did not make an assessment on the strength of the evidence before ordering the case’s dismissal.

As SDNY weighs its next steps, the decision to drop the case raises questions about the DOJ’s intervention and the future of the high-profile corruption probe into the New York City mayor.