New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday thanked the U.S. Justice Department for instructing federal prosecutors to drop his corruption case, and said he remains innocent of all charges.
"As I said from the outset, I never broke the law and I never would," the mayor said during a six-minute midday livestream address. "I would never put my personal benefit above my solemn responsibility as your mayor."
In a two-page memo, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove told New York prosecutors on Monday that the order to drop Adams' case was not based on the strength of evidence in the case, but rather because it had been brought too close to Adams reelection campaign and was distracting from the mayor’s efforts to assist in the Trump administration’s law-and-order priorities, the Associated Press reported.
Adams, indicted in September, faces five counts of corruption, including bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions after an investigation that began in 2021 while he was the Brooklyn Borough President.
Despite many sensational and false claims, the mayor said he never asked anyone to break the law on his behalf, or on behalf of his campaign.
"This case will no longer continue," Adams said, although prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have yet to officially act on the DOJ's request.
The mayor, who thanked the Justice Department for its "honesty," said the past 15 weeks had been the most difficult period of his life.
"I understand that many New Yorkers still question my character," he said. "I know I must continue to regain your trust. I've learned a lot over the last year and this experience has been humbling."
