A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed the corruption case against New York City mayor Eric Adams (D.) and barred the Department of Justice from refiling the charges against him.
Judge Dale Ho in a written order tossed the criminal case "with prejudice," permanently blocking the DOJ from recharging Adams based on the same evidence. Federal prosecutors had sought a dismissal "without prejudice," which would have allowed them to refile the case later.
Allowing the Justice Department to refile charges, Ho wrote, "would create the unavoidable perception that the Mayor's freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration."
Adams, who is running for reelection this year, also "might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents" in that situation, according to Ho.
The DOJ in February directed prosecutors to drop the case against Adams, who had been set to face trial this month on charges of bribery, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal campaign contributions.
The investigation, according to a DOJ memo at the time, "improperly interfered" with Adams's 2025 reelection campaign and "unduly restricted [his] ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime."
Adams, the first mayor in New York City history to be indicted while in office, has repeatedly said that the Biden administration brought criminal charges against him in retaliation for his criticism of former president Joe Biden's handling of the migrant crisis, the New York Times reported.