3 federal prosecutors resign after DOJ order to drop NYC mayor's case
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams listens to a question during an Adult Town Hall at Sunnyside Community Services Older Adult Center on Feb. 12 in Queens, New York City. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Three top federal prosecutors resigned from their positions on Thursday after refusing an order from the Department of Justice to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, multiple outlets reported.
Why it matters: The resignations are among the most public opposition to the DOJ after President Trump promised to overhaul the federal agency and has installed loyalists and allies in top jobs.
- Danielle Sassoon, interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned Thursday afternoon, an SDNY spokesperson confirmed to Axios. The spokesperson did not specify a reason for the resignation.
- John Keller, the acting chief of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, and Kevin Driscoll, the acting head of the DOJ's criminal division, also resigned.
- Driscoll was appointed in 2019 during Trump's first term, and Keller had a decades-long career in the DOJ, according to their Justice Department biographies.
What they're saying: In a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Sassoon explained her refusal to drop the charges, calling it a "rushed and superficial" decision.
- "Because the law does not support a dismissal, and because I am confident that Adams has committed the crimes with which he is charged, I cannot agree to seek a dismissal driven by improper considerations," she said.
- Sassoon accused the DOJ official who ordered her to do so of soliciting an unjust quid pro quo.
- "I have always considered it my obligation to pursue justice impartially, without favor to the wealthy or those who occupy important public office, or harsher treatment for the less powerful," she wrote.
Zoom in: Sassoon was appointed by President Trump while former SEC chief Jay Clayton goes through the confirmation process to be Manhattan's U.S. attorney.
- "Your resignation is accepted," Emil Bove, acting deputy attorney general, wrote in a letter. "The decision is based on your choice to continue pursuing a politically motivated prosecution despite an express instruction to dismiss the case."
- Bove's letter also placed two assistant U.S. attorneys who worked on Adams' case on leave, saying they were "unwilling to comply with the order to dismiss the case. The two prosecutors will be investigated by the Attorney General's office and the Office of Professional Responsibility, Bove's letter said.
- Bondi will decide disciplinary actions, including possible termination, after the investigation, Bove wrote.
Context: The Justice Department on Monday requested that prosecutors drop federal charges against Adams, who was indicted last September on charges of bribery and fraud.
- Bove requested the corruption case be dismissed without prejudice back in November.
- Adams attended Trump's January inauguration, and the president has expressed sympathy toward the mayor's legal battle, prompting speculation that he could pardon him.
Go deeper: DOJ moves to have NYC Mayor Eric Adams' charges dropped
Editor's note: This story has been updated with Sassoon's letter to the DOJ.
