A federal judge has decided to postpone the upcoming trial date for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but has not yet dismissed the charges against him. The case has caused controversy within the Justice Department.
Judge Dale Ho has appointed conservative attorney Paul Clement to challenge the Justice Department's decision to drop charges against Adams. The judge is exploring whether a dismissal is in the public interest.
The decision by the DOJ to end the case against Adams has led to the resignation of eight federal prosecutors, including the interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York, as well as four deputy mayors from City Hall.
Adams, who agreed in writing to the deal to drop the charges, has denied any wrongdoing or quid pro quo with the Trump administration. The charges against him include bribery, corruption, wire fraud, and soliciting donations from foreign nationals in exchange for supporting President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former personal attorney for Trump, defended the DOJ's decision to drop the charges, citing prosecutorial discretion and interference with the Trump administration's immigration agenda in New York City.
Judge Ho has canceled the April 21 trial date but has appointed Paul Clement to further examine the case. Clement, a former solicitor general under President George W. Bush, is known for his advocacy before the Supreme Court in cases that have shifted the law to the right.
Ho emphasized the need for adversarial testing in decision-making and set a hearing date for March 14 to review the case further.
