Manhattan's leading prosecutor and two DOJ members step down following directive to dismiss Eric Adams case
In a letter, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York indicated that her office is getting ready to file a new indictment against the mayor.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — The acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with two senior Department of Justice attorneys, resigned on Thursday shortly after the Manhattan office received orders to dismiss a five-count bribery case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. This incident sparked a significant conflict between Manhattan's independent prosecutor's office and senior officials at the Department of Justice.
Danielle Sassoon, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Manhattan office while awaiting Senate confirmation of a permanent pick, resigned in objection to the directive to dismiss the charges against Adams. She was joined in her resignation by Kevin Driscoll, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and John Keller, the top official in the Public Integrity Section, as indicated by a source familiar with the situation.
Sassoon's resignation, first reported by The New York Times, elicited a remarkable response from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
In an eight-page letter accepting Sassoon’s resignation, Bove criticized her performance and noted that he had transferred control of the Adams case to the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington, planning to dismiss the case without input from the New York office.
“Under your leadership, the office has demonstrated itself to be incapable of fairly and impartially reviewing the circumstances of this prosecution,” Bove wrote.
Bove's decision to take over the case met with resistance from within Main Justice as well. Driscoll and Keller also chose to resign rather than participate in the dismissal of the Adams case, the source disclosed.
Bove also announced that the assistant prosecutors responsible for the case would be placed on paid leave during an investigation that could lead to their termination, citing Sassoon’s unwillingness to drop the charges—a stance she stated was backed by her office.
Bove, who previously served as one of Trump’s personal lawyers leading up to the 2024 election, is currently the second-in-command at the Justice Department. He has implemented numerous changes within the department, including the dismissal of prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 cases and efforts to identify FBI agents who worked on those investigations.
Sassoon appeared determined to proceed with the Adams case. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi obtained by PMG, she indicated her office was ready to file a new indictment against Adams, alleging he had destroyed evidence related to the case.
Additionally, last month she responded robustly to Adams' suggestion that the investigation was a form of retribution from the Biden administration, clarifying that federal prosecutors initiated their inquiry into him in 2021, well before he began criticizing the former president on immigration issues.
Sassoon cautioned Bondi that dismissing the case against Adams would likely not be straightforward, given that Judge Dale Ho was expected to conduct a “searching inquiry” into the reasons for the dismissal. She predicted that any resulting litigation would be “lengthy” and could harm the Justice Department’s reputation, irrespective of the outcome.
Sassoon’s resignation and Bove’s sharp criticism represent a continuing increase in tensions regarding the Trump Administration's actions to protect Adams, a Democrat, from what has been described as the weaponization of the department.
On Monday, Bove had instructed Sassoon to drop the case against Adams, who faced accusations of accepting illicit campaign contributions and travel perks in exchange for favorable actions benefiting the Turkish government.
In his letter, Bove explained that Adams' upcoming trial in April was interfering with the mayor's support for Trump's immigration policies and negatively affecting his re-election campaign. However, he did not make a determination regarding the merits of the case, suggesting it could be reopened after the November mayoral election—giving the Trump administration significant leverage over the prominent Democrat.
In her resignation letter, Sassoon argued that dismissing the case would effectively reward Adams for “an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case.”
She detailed a Jan. 31 meeting involving Adams’ lawyers and officials from both Main Justice and the Southern District. “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,” she wrote.
“The idea that there was a quid pro quo is a total lie. We offered nothing and the department asked nothing of us,” said Adams' attorney Alex Spiro in response to Sassoon’s letter.
“We were asked if the case had any bearing on national security and immigration enforcement and we truthfully answered it did,” he added.
In a related development, Adams announced Thursday plans to enhance cooperation between the city and federal immigration authorities. After meeting with Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan, the mayor agreed to issue an executive order that would allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island, the city’s jail complex, overriding local “sanctuary city” policies.
Spiro did not comment further on Sassoon’s resignation or Bove’s decision to dismiss the charges against Adams.
A spokesperson for the Southern District of New York did not respond to requests for comment.
Adams expressed his satisfaction with Bove’s decision to dismiss the charges during a speech earlier in the week.
“I thank the Justice Department for its honesty,” he stated. “Now you can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city. It’s time to move forward.”
The high-profile resignations came just one week after Bondi assumed her role as attorney general. On the day prior, she had stated that she was unaware of any failure by prosecutors to comply with Bove’s directive to drop the case.
“That case should be dropped,” Bondi declared on Wednesday, noting she had not discussed it with Sassoon but had spoken with Bove. “I did not know that it had not been dropped yet, but I will certainly look into that.”
The resignations took place while Bondi was on her initial trip as attorney general, attending the prominent Munich Security Conference.
When asked for her perspective on the resignations, a Justice Department spokesperson provided a statement from Bove.
“No U.S. Attorney’s Office is a separate sovereign,” Bove remarked, referencing the often-used expression alluding to Manhattan federal prosecutors' office as “the Sovereign District of New York.”
“There is no room at the Justice Department for attorneys who refuse to execute on the priorities of the Executive Branch — priorities determined by the American people,” Bove stated. “I look forward to working with new leadership at SDNY on the important priorities President Trump has laid out for us to make America safe again.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
Danielle Sassoon, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Manhattan office while awaiting Senate confirmation of a permanent pick, resigned in objection to the directive to dismiss the charges against Adams. She was joined in her resignation by Kevin Driscoll, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and John Keller, the top official in the Public Integrity Section, as indicated by a source familiar with the situation.
Sassoon's resignation, first reported by The New York Times, elicited a remarkable response from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
In an eight-page letter accepting Sassoon’s resignation, Bove criticized her performance and noted that he had transferred control of the Adams case to the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington, planning to dismiss the case without input from the New York office.
“Under your leadership, the office has demonstrated itself to be incapable of fairly and impartially reviewing the circumstances of this prosecution,” Bove wrote.
Bove's decision to take over the case met with resistance from within Main Justice as well. Driscoll and Keller also chose to resign rather than participate in the dismissal of the Adams case, the source disclosed.
Bove also announced that the assistant prosecutors responsible for the case would be placed on paid leave during an investigation that could lead to their termination, citing Sassoon’s unwillingness to drop the charges—a stance she stated was backed by her office.
Bove, who previously served as one of Trump’s personal lawyers leading up to the 2024 election, is currently the second-in-command at the Justice Department. He has implemented numerous changes within the department, including the dismissal of prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 cases and efforts to identify FBI agents who worked on those investigations.
Sassoon appeared determined to proceed with the Adams case. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi obtained by PMG, she indicated her office was ready to file a new indictment against Adams, alleging he had destroyed evidence related to the case.
Additionally, last month she responded robustly to Adams' suggestion that the investigation was a form of retribution from the Biden administration, clarifying that federal prosecutors initiated their inquiry into him in 2021, well before he began criticizing the former president on immigration issues.
Sassoon cautioned Bondi that dismissing the case against Adams would likely not be straightforward, given that Judge Dale Ho was expected to conduct a “searching inquiry” into the reasons for the dismissal. She predicted that any resulting litigation would be “lengthy” and could harm the Justice Department’s reputation, irrespective of the outcome.
Sassoon’s resignation and Bove’s sharp criticism represent a continuing increase in tensions regarding the Trump Administration's actions to protect Adams, a Democrat, from what has been described as the weaponization of the department.
On Monday, Bove had instructed Sassoon to drop the case against Adams, who faced accusations of accepting illicit campaign contributions and travel perks in exchange for favorable actions benefiting the Turkish government.
In his letter, Bove explained that Adams' upcoming trial in April was interfering with the mayor's support for Trump's immigration policies and negatively affecting his re-election campaign. However, he did not make a determination regarding the merits of the case, suggesting it could be reopened after the November mayoral election—giving the Trump administration significant leverage over the prominent Democrat.
In her resignation letter, Sassoon argued that dismissing the case would effectively reward Adams for “an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case.”
She detailed a Jan. 31 meeting involving Adams’ lawyers and officials from both Main Justice and the Southern District. “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,” she wrote.
“The idea that there was a quid pro quo is a total lie. We offered nothing and the department asked nothing of us,” said Adams' attorney Alex Spiro in response to Sassoon’s letter.
“We were asked if the case had any bearing on national security and immigration enforcement and we truthfully answered it did,” he added.
In a related development, Adams announced Thursday plans to enhance cooperation between the city and federal immigration authorities. After meeting with Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan, the mayor agreed to issue an executive order that would allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island, the city’s jail complex, overriding local “sanctuary city” policies.
Spiro did not comment further on Sassoon’s resignation or Bove’s decision to dismiss the charges against Adams.
A spokesperson for the Southern District of New York did not respond to requests for comment.
Adams expressed his satisfaction with Bove’s decision to dismiss the charges during a speech earlier in the week.
“I thank the Justice Department for its honesty,” he stated. “Now you can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city. It’s time to move forward.”
The high-profile resignations came just one week after Bondi assumed her role as attorney general. On the day prior, she had stated that she was unaware of any failure by prosecutors to comply with Bove’s directive to drop the case.
“That case should be dropped,” Bondi declared on Wednesday, noting she had not discussed it with Sassoon but had spoken with Bove. “I did not know that it had not been dropped yet, but I will certainly look into that.”
The resignations took place while Bondi was on her initial trip as attorney general, attending the prominent Munich Security Conference.
When asked for her perspective on the resignations, a Justice Department spokesperson provided a statement from Bove.
“No U.S. Attorney’s Office is a separate sovereign,” Bove remarked, referencing the often-used expression alluding to Manhattan federal prosecutors' office as “the Sovereign District of New York.”
“There is no room at the Justice Department for attorneys who refuse to execute on the priorities of the Executive Branch — priorities determined by the American people,” Bove stated. “I look forward to working with new leadership at SDNY on the important priorities President Trump has laid out for us to make America safe again.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
