Corruption allegations: Process against New York’s mayor on the brink

In a surprising phrase, Donald Trump’s Ministry of Justice asked the public prosecutor’s office to drop allegations of corruption against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Among other things, Adam’s ongoing law enforcement takes “his full attention and resources” to combat illegal immigration, according to the letter from the Ministry of Justice of Monday (local time).

In September, indictment against Adams was raised, and the process was supposed to start in April. “I would like to thank the Ministry of Justice for honesty,” said Adams. “Now we can leave this cruel episode behind.” Adams again emphasized his innocence. “I never violated the law and would never do that either.”

Adams is a democrat and starts re -election as a New York mayor. Most recently, according to the “New York Times” and “Washington Post”, he was looking for the proximity to the Republican Donald Trump. In January, according to the US media, Adams traveled to Trump in his property Mar-A-Lago, had also participated in the inauguration of the new president and recently declared that he would not publicly criticize Trump. Trump had recently expressed sympathy for Adams, according to Washington Post.

Criticism came from numerous opposite candidates of Adams in the New York mayor election campaign. “That should upset every single New York,” said the democratic senator in the state of New York, Zellnor Myrie and his colleague Jessica Ramos: “Eric Adams sold the New Yorker to buy his own freedom.”

An “unusual argument”

Now the incumbent deputy Minister of Justice Emil Bove wrote not only to cooperate with Trump in the fight against illegal migration. She also distracts him from devoting himself to his re -election and the fight against crime in New York. The “Washington Post” rated this as a “unusual argument”. The “New York Times” wrote that the development raised questions about the independence of federal prosecutors under Trump.

The public prosecutor initially did not share whether it intended to stop the procedure. According to “Washington Post”, such a decision must be approved by a judge.

For the first time charges against New York Mayor

Among other things, Adams is accused of bribery, fraud and illegal recruitment and acceptance of foreign campaign donations. The allegations go back to at least 2014 when Adams was still the district president of Brooklyn.

The ex-police officer, who has been mayor of New York since 2022, rejects the allegations and demands for withdrawal. It is the first indictment for federal crimes against a reigning New York mayor in the modern history of the metropolis.