Senior Justice Department officials under President Trump have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. The officials have also spoken to Adams’s defense team, led by Alex Spiro, who is also a lawyer for Elon Musk, one of Trump’s closest advisers.
Adams was indicted in September on charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions after an investigation that began in 2021. He has pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence, claiming he is being prosecuted because he criticized the Biden administration.
In recent weeks, Adams has curried favor with Trump, traveling to Mar-a-Lago, attending the inauguration, and saying he will share any criticisms of the president in private. Trump has the power to pardon Adams and has suggested he is considering doing so, calling the mayor “treated pretty unfairly” by prosecutors.
Discussions about the case have taken place through the office of the acting deputy attorney general, Emil Bove, who is a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. The Justice Department has not indicated whether the case will be dropped, and prosecutors have been presenting additional evidence to a grand jury, suggesting new charges may be forthcoming.
The talks raise questions about the timing of the discussions, given the Trump administration’s changes to the Justice Department and its approach to immigration policy. The New York City mayor presides over a sanctuary city, and the Justice Department has begun a crackdown on undocumented migrants.
