This article is adapted from our Feb. 13 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.
Dear New Yorkers,
President Trump’s Justice Department on Monday sent a memo to federal prosecutors in New York City directing them to drop the corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams.
Although the Southern District of New York hasn’t pulled the plug just yet, the highly unusual interference in a criminal prosecution creates an entirely new dynamic going into the June primary. The memo didn’t say the charges were false, just that dismissing them could help Trump’s deportation goals. It also left open the possibility that prosecutors could reopen the case against Adams later, leading Rev. Al Sharpton to observe that “it certainly sounds like President Trump is holding the Mayor hostage.”
Still, Adams’s lawyer declared victory.
But the close connection to Trump leaves Adams open to criticism, as he orders his own staff to not say anything bad about the president. Sharpton for one said he would speak to elected officials and clergy “to decide where we will go.”
Adams’ mayoral rivals also had a field day, saying “justice is dead in America” and sarcastically congratulating the mayor on “his shameless efforts to avoid legal ability.”
On Tuesday, Adams avoided reporters but delivered a nearly six-minute address thanking the Justice Department and hammering his campaign issues.
“Who I am is not in the headlines, it is in my history,” he said. “It’s the same place as you, working class, struggling to survive, in love with this city, even when it lets us down.”
— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team
What We’re Reading …
- So what does the Justice Department memo actually mean, and what happens next? We break it down.
- Candidates and ers are hitting the streets to get voters to switch their party registration so they can vote in the Democratic primary.
- Endorsement update: Rep. Daniel Goldman and Zephyr Teachout endorse Sen. Zellnor Myrie for mayor, New York Progressive Action Network for Brad Lander.
- The mayor’s second charter revision commission is holding hearings around the city, with a focus on ways to create more housing.
What’s Ahead …
Days until the June primary: 131
Feb. 13 (tonight): Affordability for All mayoral forum, PSC-CUNY, 25 Broadway 15th floor, New York, NY 10004 and livestreamed on Facebook
Feb. 14: THIS IS THE LAST DAY YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR PARTY AFFILIATION BEFORE THE JUNE PRIMARY!
Your Election Questions, Answered
❓James asked: If Adams switches parties, will it affect any money he’s raised already?
Answer: I reached out to Tim Hunter, spokesperson for the Campaign Finance Board, asking if the mayor can still keep his money if he runs as a Republican. “Yes,” he replied. Someone can request a refund for money they gave, but have to go directly through the campaign Hunter said. Mayor Adams has been in a heap of trouble with the Campaign Finance Board, and they so far have denied his requests for more matching funds. He may even have to pay back the more than $10 million he received for the 2021 campaign.
Have a question for our election team? Reply back to this email or send your questions to [email protected].
THE CAMPAIGN KICKER:
Sit back and read about big-city corruption in the latest edition of Vital City, a friend of THE CITY.
