Court-appointed attorney tells NY judge that Eric Adams' case should be dismissed permanently

An independent court-appointed lawyer on Friday told the judge that appointed him that the criminal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams should be dropped "permanently" instead of temporarily. 

Adams, a Democrat, was charged with federal bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance offenses in September, but pleaded not guilty to all of them. 

The Justice Department asked a judge to drop the charges last month, but with a caveat that the charges could be refiled in the future. Democrats have claimed the option could be leveraged against Adams if he does not work with the Trump administration, which Adams has rejected.

Paul Clement, a conservative Supreme Court advocate, wrote that the judge cannot force the department to continue prosecuting Adams, but can decide whether to dismiss the charges with or without prejudice. In this case, he claimed it should be permanently dismissed.

The attorney said that allowing the department the possibility of refiling charges in the future could give the appearance of improper leverage over the mayor, like Democrats have alleged, per Politico.

“Such an ongoing prospect of reindictment is particularly problematic when it comes to the sensitive task of prosecuting public officials,” Clement wrote in his 33-page opinion. 

“There is an inherent risk that once an indictment has been procured, the prospect of reindictment could create the appearance, if not the reality, that the actions of a public official are being driven by concerns about staying in the good graces of the federal executive, rather than the best interests of his constituents," he added.

U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, who appointed Clement last month, does not have to follow the recommendation.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.