New York City Mayor Eric Adams was back in federal court on Wednesday, where a federal judge scrutinized a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) decision to drop charges against him. Adams and federal prosecutors faced a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Dale E. Ho, who was appointed to the bench by former President Joe Biden.

Judge Ho did not rule on the DOJ motion to dismiss the charges against Adams, which include one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of wire fraud, two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe. However, the judge did hear arguments from DOJ attorneys and set out a “procedure for resolution of the motion.”

Adams was indicted last September and faces allegations that he knowingly solicited campaign contributions from Turkish foreign nationals beginning in 2018 in the lead-up to his 2021 run for mayor. At the time, federal prosecutors alleged that Adams and his campaign conspired to hide the illegal contributions through straw donors and fake paper trails, concealing the criminal activity. In exchange for financial support from representatives of the Turkish government, Adams allegedly pressured officials in the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) to approve Turkey’s consulate building in Manhattan, despite safety issues.

While most national Democratic Party leaders now claim Adams should resign or be removed from office—mostly due to his support for President Donald J. Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown—that was not the case at the time of his indictment. For instance, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) argued in October that Adams should continue as mayor and is entitled to a presumption of innocence.

Image by Marc A. Hermann / MTA.

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