The second-year federal judge weighing whether to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams has decided to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning charges cannot be refiled at a later date.
U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho issued a ruling Wednesday denying prosecutors' request that the dismissal be "without prejudice," which would have left potential charges hanging over Adams' head.
Adams couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Last month, Ho canceled a scheduled hearing, suggesting a ruling could be imminent. In a written order Tuesday, Ho said he has reviewed filings from the parties and a court-appointed legal expert, all of whom favor dismissal, and “does not at this time believe that oral argument is necessary."
The only disagreement among the parties and the expert, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, was whether a dismissal should be permanent.
Career prosecutors in NYC and in Washington, D.C., resigned after they were ordered by a Trump appointee to drop the corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams. On Wednesday, that same Trump appointee spoke to a judge, who did not immediately decide to dismiss the case. NBC New York's Chris Glorioso and Melissa Colorado report.
The mayor, who is up for reelection this year, had pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges. A 2024 indictment accused him of accepting illegal campaign contributions and travel discounts from a Turkish official and others — and returning the favors by, among other things, helping Turkey get a consulate open without passing a fire inspection.
The case, brought during the Biden administration, was on track for an April trial until President Donald Trump’s Justice Department moved last month to drop it, arguing that the case was interfering with the mayor’s ability to aid the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
After an extraordinary hearing where Adams' lawyer and a top Justice Department official argued for ending the case, Ho canceled the trial.
