NEW YORK — The independent lawyer tasked with presenting arguments to Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho as he weighs tossing the case against Mayor Eric Adams on Friday recommended permanent dismissal of the charges, in part finding that even the appearance of the Justice Department’s motion creating a conflict for the mayor is “deeply troubling.”
Last month, the DOJ asked Ho to dismiss the case without prejudice — meaning it could be brought again — to avoid it interfering with Adams’s reelection campaign and so that the mayor could assist the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement aims unimpeded, among other factors. That provision touched off widespread criticism.
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