NEW YORK--A U.S. judge said on Wednesday he will take some time to consider a request by prosecutors under orders from a Donald Trump political appointee to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, saying he wants to make a reasoned decision on a "somewhat unusual situation."
Justice Department officials last week asked U.S. District Judge Dale Ho to dismiss the charges, but in a manner that could allow prosecutors to revive the case at a later date if they choose to do so. Numerous Justice Department officials resigned in protest over what they decried as political interference under the Republican president in the case.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, appointed by Trump to the job after serving as his personal criminal defense lawyer, argued that dismissal is needed so Adams can focus on helping Trump crack down on illegal immigration. The controversy has sparked a political crisis in the most populous U.S. city. Senior Democrats have said that dismissing the charges makes Adams, a Democrat, beholden to Trump's administration.
At the outset of a hearing on Wednesday that lasted nearly 90 minutes, Ho said he was aware that he had little discretion in responding to the dismissal request, noting that courts have found that prosecutors are best suited to decide whether or not a case should continue. But the judge said he had questions about "how to handle what I think everyone would agree is a somewhat unusual situation."
"To exercise my discretion properly, I'm not going to shoot from the hip right here from the bench," Ho said.
Adams, 64, was charged last September by federal prosecutors during Democratic President Joe Biden's administration with taking bribes and campaign donations from Turkish nationals seeking to influence him. Adams, running for reelection this year, has pleaded not guilty.
Asked on Wednesday about the mayor's future, New York state Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who has the power to remove Adams from office, told reporters, "There is a path forward to make sure we stabilize this city and its government."
Four of the mayor's deputies announced on Monday they plan to resign in the coming weeks.
Adams walked slowly as he entered the packed courtroom before the hearing, stopping to embrace his pastor, the 94-year-old Reverend Herbert Daughtry, who was seated in the audience's front row. As he arrived at the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, Adams was met with a chorus of boos from about 20 protesters chanting "Eric Adams - time to go" and holding signs reading "Judge Ho: No dismissals for corrupt officials."
