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Complaint Filed Against Acting Deputy Attorney General Over Dismissal of Charges Against NYC Mayor
Senate Judiciary Democrats have submitted a formal complaint regarding Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove to the New York State Bar, urging an investigation into his involvement in the decision to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The complaint references claims made by a prosecutor who resigned from the case, alleging that Mayor Adams had provided aid regarding President Trump’s immigration policies prior to the charges being dismissed—a claim that the Adams administration has denied.
In a letter addressed to the First Judicial Department of New York, which oversees such matters, ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) emphasized that Bove’s dismissal of charges against Adams appeared to be contingent on obtaining a political favor from the Mayor to benefit President Trump. “Documents from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the SDNY, along with subsequent public disclosures, indicate that Mr. Bove’s decision was based on obtaining political advantages rather than the merits of the case,” stated Durbin.
Durbin further noted the coercive nature of the dismissal, which was issued “without prejudice,” enabling Bove to retain the possibility of recharging Adams should he fail to fulfill the political favor.
Mayor Adams is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, addressing issues related to sanctuary cities.
The Department of Justice has not provided a response concerning the allegations made against Bove.
Included in the inquiry is a letter dated February 10 from Bove to prosecutors in the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department. In this correspondence, Bove stated that his decision was made “without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based.” Instead, he purportedly considered that “the pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior Administration,” as noted by the committee in their response.
Last September, Adams entered a not guilty plea to charges related to his previous role as Brooklyn borough president, which included accusations of accepting questionable campaign contributions and enjoying excessive travel perks from groups attempting to gain influence over him.
Furthermore, over six prosecutors associated with the case have resigned, alleging that Justice Department leadership prioritized political motivations in their decision to dismiss the case against Adams.
The letter from the Democratic members of the panel outlines four incidents they argue contravene established rules of professional conduct, expressing that “the absence of accountability for such serious misconduct further undermines public confidence in the justice system.” They have officially requested an investigation into the matter.
Source
thehill.com