Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered Manhattan prosecutors to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Although he was indicted last year, Adams has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The DOJ’s decision led to the resignation of three senior federal prosecutors on Thursday.
Danielle Sassoon, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, stepped down just three days after DOJ leadership instructed her to drop the case. Sassoon, who previously helped lead the prosecution and conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried (founder of FTX), had been appointed interim U.S. attorney by the Trump administration last month.
Emil Bove, a DOJ official, accepted Sassoon’s resignation and placed two U.S. attorneys involved in the case on leave pending investigations. Later on Thursday, John Keller, acting head of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, and Kevin Driscoll resigned after being asked to take over the Adams case, according to sources who spoke off the record.
