In a two-page memo obtained by The Associated Press, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove told prosecutors in New York that they were “directed to dismiss” the bribery charges against Adams immediately.
“The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime,” Bove wrote.
The memo also ordered prosecutors in New York not to take “additional investigative steps” against the Democrat until after November's mayoral election, though it left open the possibility that charges could be refiled after that following a review.
An attorney for Adams, Alex Spiro, said the Justice Department’s order had vindicated the mayor’s claim of innocence. “Now, thankfully, the mayor and New York can put this unfortunate and misguided prosecution behind them," said Spiro, who has also represented Elon Musk.
The case against Adams was brought under the previous U.S. attorney for the district, Damien Williams, who stepped down before Trump became president.
The memo follows months of speculation that Trump would take steps to end the case against Adams, who was charged in September with accepting bribes of free or discounted travel and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals seeking to buy his influence.
Adams, a Democrat elected on a centrist platform, has angered many Democrats over his willingness to take action against illegal immigrants.
Rather than restricting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as Adams once promised, he has expressed a willingness to roll back the city’s so-called sanctuary policies and pledged not to publicly criticize a president whose policies he once described as “abusive.”
In recent weeks, he implied that Trump’s agenda would be better for New York than former President Joe Biden’s.
Trump has said that Adams was being persecuted by the Biden Justice Department for criticizing the former president's far-left policies on immigration.
“I know what it’s like to be persecuted by the DOJ, for speaking out against open borders,” Trump said in October at a Manhattan event attended by Adams. “We were persecuted, Eric. I was persecuted, and so are you, Eric.”
