Chad Mizelle, the chief of staff at the Department of Justice, detailed in a lengthy thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, why dismissing charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams is the correct decision.
Adams was charged last year with accepting free or discounted overseas trips and illegal campaign contributions from people looking to gain his influence, including people connected to Turkey or the Turkish government. He pleaded not guilty. The Justice Department is asking a judge to dismiss the charges against Adams, which has led to the resignation of several prosecutors.
By charging Adams with crimes he committed before he became mayor, the Justice Department is expanding the definition of public corruption, Mizelle said. Previous attempts at expanding the definition of public corruption resulted in the cases being heard at the Supreme Court with the Justice Department coming out on the losing end, Mizelle pointed out.
The Supreme Court overturned the convictions of an Indiana mayor convicted of federal bribery, the people convicted for the New Jersey "Bridgegate" scandal, former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's bribery case, and former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens for failing to report gifts, Mizelle said.
"DOJ's track record of public corruption cases at the Supreme Court is abysmal," Mizelle said.
Prosecuting the case against Adams was a grave error in judgment, Mizelle said.
"The alleged official act in the indictment took place before Adams was mayor. And one of the main benefits that the mayor allegedly received was campaign contributions. But all successful politicians, no matter the party, receive campaign contributions," Mizelle said.
The case against Adams involved incredible resources, including thousands and thousands of man-hours, Mizelle said.
"Those resources could better be used arresting violent criminals to keep New York safe or prosecuting gang and cartel members," Mizelle said. "Given history, DOJ had to decide — among other issues — whether to keep going down a road that the Supreme Court has viewed with skepticism on numerous occasions. Dismissing the prosecution was absolutely the right call."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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