The judge overseeing the corruption case against Eric Adams has dismissed the charges against the New York City mayor, and in a spilt with the Trump Justice Department, ordered that the charges cannot be brought again.


Judge Dale Ho said his hands were essentially tied – even though he has concerns about the Justice Department’s reasons to dismiss the case – he could not force them to prosecute a defendant.


Ho’s ruling criticized the Trump administration’s motives for dropping the case at a time when the White House is seeking to bolster its authority over the Justice Department and federal prosecutors.


DOJ’s effort to drop the case and retaining the ability to restore charges resulted in the mass resignation of several Justice Department officials, including the acting US attorney in the Southern District of New York and the top career prosecutors overseeing public corruption cases.


n a strongly-worded opinion on Tuesday, Ho rejected the Justice Department’s core argument – that New York prosecutors were politically motivated in bringing the case and that the charges were impacting the mayor’s ability to carry out Trump’s immigration agenda.


“Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” he wrote in a 78-page opinion. He said DOJ’s position is “disturbing” because it implies public officials may receive special treatment if they go along with political priorities. “That suggestion is fundamentally incompatible with the basic promise of equal justice under the law.”


A spokesman for the Justice Department said, “This case was an example of political weaponization and a waste of resources. We are focused on arresting and prosecuting terrorists while returning the Department of Justice to its core mission of keeping Americans safe.”


Alex Spiro, an attorney for Adams, said the case “should have never been brought in the first place – and finally today that case is gone forever. From Day 1, the mayor has maintained his innocence and now justice for Eric Adams and New Yorkers has prevailed.”


“In light of DOJ’s rationales, 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 Tuesday.


Adams, who is up for reelection this fall, was indicted in September on charges related to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals in exchange for political favors. He pleaded not guilty.