NEW YORK — A federal judge dismissed New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ corruption case on Wednesday, agreeing it was the only practical outcome while blasting the Justice Department’s ‘’troubling’’ rationale for wanting the charges thrown out — namely so the Democrat could help President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The judge, though, denied prosecutors the option to refile the charges after the mayoral election. Judge Dale E. Ho’s order to dismiss the case ‘’with prejudice’’ spares Adams from having to govern in a way that pleases Trump or potentially risk having the Republican’s Justice Department revive the charges.
The judge said he wasn’t opining on the merits of the case, but that courts can’t force prosecutors to move forward. Still, he expressed qualms about the government’s move, saying ‘’there are many reasons to be troubled’’ by its reasoning.
‘‘Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,‘’ Ho wrote. He said he found it ‘’disturbing’’ that public officials might get special treatment from prosecutors by complying with policy goals.
He rejected an alternative the Justice Department had sought — dismissing the case ‘’without prejudice,‘’ which would have left room for the charges to be refiled.
‘‘Dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration, and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents,‘’ the judge wrote.
The mayor claims victory
Adams lauded the judge’s decision during brief remarks outside the mayoral residence.
