Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio expresses his strong support for current Mayor Eric Adams, dismissing the charges against him as 'flimsy' and politically motivated. He criticizes the prosecutors involved and believes the timing of the case was highly suspect.
Amidst a flurry of resignations, accusations, and calls for New York City Mayor Eric Adams to step down, one prominent figure continues to stand by him: his predecessor, Bill de Blasio. The former New York City mayor and fellow Democrat firmly believes that the case against Adams should never have been brought. De Blasio characterized the charges, which included bribery and campaign finance allegations, as 'flimsy' in a Friday interview with CBS News.
'From Day One, I thought the charges against him were very weak,' he stated. 'I believe in my heart, and this is from personal experience, that we've got to have maturity to know that just because some prosecutor brings a charge doesn't mean it's true.'On Monday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo instructing former New York U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon's office to drop the five-count indictment against Adams. Bove asserted that the case 'restricted' Adams' ability to assist the Trump administration in enforcing its immigration policies. Sassoon, who held the position of Manhattan's top career federal prosecutor until Thursday, was among at least half a dozen Justice Department officials who resigned after her office received the directive to abandon the criminal case against Adams.Adams, who pleaded not guilty and vehemently denied any wrongdoing, was scheduled to go to trial in April. Prosecutors, in a comprehensive September indictment, alleged that Adams had abused his power for years, leveraging his influence to secure illegal campaign contributions and complimentary or discounted travel. Sassoon, in a letter to the attorney general on Thursday, stated that Adams' attorneys had 'urged what amounted to a quid pro quo,' supposedly offering the mayor's cooperation with Trump administration priorities in immigration enforcement in exchange for dismissal of the charges. An attorney representing Adams dismissed this as 'a total lie,' and in a Friday statement, Adams also refuted the allegation. 'I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never,' Adams declared. Adams, on Thursday, announced an executive order permitting federal immigration agents to enter the city's Rikers Island jail complex — a significant reversal of city policy. However, de Blasio expressed skepticism that decisions like this constitute evidence of a deal with the White House. De Blasio asserted that he did not perceive this as indicative of a quid pro quo arrangement, characterizing the move as 'consistent with his previous positions that had nothing to do with his legal case.' 'I've had my differences with Eric Adams, but I've known him a long time. He was a police officer for 20 years. He understands the law,' de Blasio remarked. 'I am not surprised that he takes a different position on immigration than the rest of us (New York Democrats).' De Blasio offered a broad critique of the case and the prosecutors who brought it, contending that the plan to proceed to trial just two months before the city's crucial Democratic primary was irresponsible.However, Sassoon, in her resignation letter on Thursday, pointed out that the Justice Department had previously indicted Adams. 'The Department of Justice correctly concluded that bringing charges nine months before a primary election was entirely appropriate,' Sassoon wrote. De Blasio, drawing from his own experience, acknowledged the toll of being under investigation. He endured his own federal probe linked to campaign fundraising, which did not result in charges. De Blasio explained that 'the process of defending yourself from a potential charge is time-consuming' and often entails additional hours spent fundraising. He emphasized that an upcoming election loomed large. 'They were explicit that there was a clock in mind. They either had to prove their case or pull it,' de Blasio stated.In March 2017, acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim announced that no charges would be brought against de Blasio. The announcement underscored Kim's office's desire to avoid influencing that year's race for City Hall. 'Although it is rare that we issue a public statement about the status of an investigation, we believe it appropriate in this case at this time, in order not to unduly influence the upcoming campaign and Mayoral election,' Kim said.Adams and Bove characterized the case against Adams as politically motivated, echoing complaints made about other cases by Bove's former defense client, President Trump. De Blasio, however, believes the comparison ends there. 'It's apples to oranges. For all things related to Trump, there was massive evidence in public view. No one's ever shown evidence of bribery (against Adams),' de Blasio asserted.Mr. Trump was convicted in New York last year of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He is currently appealing that conviction. A criminal case in Georgia is on indefinite hold, and a federal case against Mr. Trump was dropped after his election in November because pursuing it further would have violated Justice Department policy regarding sitting presidents. Another federal case was dismissed last summer.
Eric Adams Bill De Blasio New York City Mayor Criminal Charges Dropped Indictment Politics Justice Department Danielle Sassoon Emil Bove Campaign Finance Immigration Quid Pro Quo
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