U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, along with other Senate Judiciary Democrats, filed a formal professional misconduct complaint against Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove with the New York State Bar on Tuesday.
The complaint, directed to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department in New York, relates to Bove's actions in the dismissal of charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to a press release.
The letter, signed by Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), requests the Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Judicial Department to initiate an investigation and take appropriate disciplinary action.
The letter outlines Bove’s alleged abuse of his position within the U.S. Department of Justice.
The letter reads, in part: "Mr. Bove has abused his position in numerous ways, including using the prosecutorial power of the federal government to coerce an elected state municipal officer to pursue policies to the political benefit of President Donald J. Trump."
The complaint further details the resignation of multiple Department of Justice officials who refused to carry out what they viewed as an unethical order from Bove regarding the dismissal of the charges against Adams. The letter cites resignations by then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Danielle Sassoon, along with a SDNY Assistant U.S. Attorney and at least five career prosecutors in the DOJ’s Criminal Division.
The senators accuse Bove of coercion and improper political influence in his actions related to the case. Specifically, they claim that the dismissal of charges against Adams was done without prejudice, thus leaving open the possibility of new charges unless the mayor agreed to provide political favors to benefit President Trump. The complaint asserts that there is substantial documentary evidence and numerous witnesses supporting these claims of misconduct.
The senators said the the gravity of Bove’s alleged misconduct raised doubts about his fitness to hold office.
"Mr. Bove’s conduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer; his activities are part of a broader course of conduct by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of Department of Justice’s investigations and prosecutions and the rule of law," a statement from the senators said. "When a government lawyer, particularly one entrusted with a leadership role in the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency, commits serious violations of professional conduct, such actions undermine the integrity of our justice system and erode public confidence in it."
