Danielle Sassoon, interim US Attorney, alleged that administration officials dropped corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams under political pressure and conditioned the dismissal on his agreement to assist with President Trump’s immigration enforcement priorities, characterizing it as an improper quid pro quo

Quotes that support claims

Rather than be rewarded, Adams’s advocacy should be called out for what it is: an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case.

I attended a meeting on January 31, 2025, with Mr. Bove, Adams's counsel, and members of my office. Adams's attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with the Department's enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed.

In her resignation letter, interim US Attorney Danielle Sassoon — the lead prosecutor in the government’s case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried — suggested administration officials had used the charges as leverage to extract from Adams cooperation in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.