Three senior Justice Department officials resigned on Thursday in response to orders from the Trump administration to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
This wave of resignations marks the strongest opposition yet to President Donald Trump’s Justice Department team, which has already made headlines for firing prosecutors involved in cases against Trump and demanding information about the FBI’s involvement in investigating the January 6 Capitol attack.
In her resignation letter, Danielle Sassoon stepped down as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York rather than comply with the directive to drop the Adams case.
She accused Adams’ legal team of pushing for what “amounted to a quid pro quo” to assist Trump on immigration in exchange for dropping the charges.
When Sassoon refused to sign the court filing for dismissal, acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove, a former personal lawyer to Trump, turned to the public integrity section of the Justice Department headquarters, sparking further resignations.
Kevin Driscoll, the top career prosecutor in the section, and John Keller, the acting head, followed Sassoon’s lead and resigned, with several other public integrity prosecutors tendering their resignations as well.
The decision to drop the federal corruption case against Adams raised alarms about the Justice Department’s independence. It’s traditionally responsible for pursuing corruption cases in New York, a city that’s home to some of the most high-profile investigations.
A career prosecutor, Matthew Podolsky, has now taken over as acting U.S. attorney.
Sassoon, who had been appointed by Trump in January, resigned before Bove could carry out plans to remove her, according to two sources.
Bove’s directive to dismiss the case came after a meeting in Washington attended by Adams’ attorneys and senior Justice Department officials.
In a two-page memo issued on Monday, Bove stated that the case should be dismissed “as soon as is practicable,” citing the difficulty the prosecution caused in Adams’ ability to focus on illegal immigration and violent crime.
Adams’ legal team had argued that the looming charges hindered his ability to lead the city and prepare for a trial, and suggested that the former U.S. attorney, Damian Williams, might be positioning himself for political office.
In her resignation letter, Sassoon expressed confusion over the decision to drop the charges, criticizing the rushed process and her lack of direct involvement in the decision-making.
She also pointed to the claims of quid pro quo by Adams’ legal team, a notion Bove had dismissed in his memo.
Sassoon also mentioned plans to pursue additional charges against Adams for obstruction, after a former City Hall official indicated they would plead guilty, and a businessman linked to the straw donor scheme also pleaded guilty.
Spokesperson for Adams’ legal team, Alex Spiro, vehemently denied the quid pro quo allegations, stating, “We were asked if the case had any bearing on national security and immigration enforcement, and we truthfully answered it did.”
Sassoon’s departure followed a series of internal changes, including the abrupt cancellation of an “all hands” meeting, which led to her resignation announcement just hours later.
The case’s dismissal would require approval from Judge Dale Ho, a Biden appointee, and if the Justice Department proceeds, he could hold a hearing to gather further details before making a ruling.
Bove’s actions have surprised some former prosecutors who praised his skills, noting his role in handling the office’s most complex cases. However, his directives have led to a growing divide within the department.
In the meantime, the Justice Department’s investigation into Adams, which began in 2022, accused him of accepting luxury benefits from a Turkish official in exchange for political favours.
Adams, who has pleaded not guilty, has long maintained that the charges were politically motivated, citing his criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the migrant crisis in New York City.
