Referee Judge Appoints Expert: Adams Case Should Be Permanently Dismissed

On Friday, March 7th, a former Deputy Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice suggested the “permanent” dismissal of corruption charges against New York City Mayor Adams. This official was appointed by presiding judge Dale Ho to assist in the review of the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the indictment and to provide legal expertise.

Two weeks ago, Manhattan Judge Ho appointed Paul Clement, a former senior official under President George W. Bush at the Justice Department, to present arguments on the federal government’s request for dismissal.

According to reports from English language media outlets like The Epoch Times, Clement informed Judge Ho in a written statement on Friday that there were “sufficient grounds” to dismiss the indictment and to prohibit the Department of Justice from re-filing the charges at any future time.

Clement stated that the prohibition on refiling the charges would eliminate “the clear image problem that this situation poses for public officials – that public servants engaged in serving constituents may always face the shadow of potential re-prosecution by the executive branch for allegations that have already been disclosed in a public indictment.”

Judge Ho recently held a hearing on the dismissal issue. During the hearing, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove from the Department of Justice argued that the charges were too close to Adams’ reelection campaign and could distract the Mayor from assisting federal law enforcement.

Adams was indicted last September by the federal government, which accused him of accepting bribes from Turkish officials during his tenure as Brooklyn Borough President and using his authority to facilitate their affairs in New York. Adams has consistently pleaded not guilty, claiming his innocence.

The DOJ’s motion to dismiss the case has sparked resignations, including from several individuals such as Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who believed that the indictment was brought nine months before the June Democratic mayoral primary, in line with a long-standing DOJ policy on sensitivity during election years. The threat of potential re-filing of charges suggested by the DOJ was seen as a means of “controlling the behavior of political figures using criminal proceedings.”

Additionally, on the same day, Friday, March 7th, the U.S. Department of Justice fired two Southern District prosecutors, Andrew Rohrbach and Celia Cohen. Rohrbach was involved in the case against financier Epstein’s accomplice, while Cohen was a prosecutor in cases involving New York mobsters.

Last month, two other Southern District prosecutors, Hagan Scotten and Derek Wikstrom, were placed on paid leave by the DOJ.