Today's News: Attorneys Resign over DOJ Order to Drop Eric Adams Case

The Justice Department is facing an internal crisis after multiple senior officials resigned in protest of an order to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.

Photo: John Taggart for The Wall Street Journal

Overview

• Date: February 13-14, 2025

• Topic: DOJ Turmoil Over Trump-Ordered Dismissal of Corruption Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams

• Summary: The Justice Department is facing an internal crisis after multiple senior officials resigned in protest of an order to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a Trump appointee and former personal attorney, directed the dismissal, arguing that the prosecution was politically motivated and hindered Adams' ability to assist with Trump's immigration policies. However, acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and several other DOJ officials refused, citing legal and ethical concerns. The resignations have drawn comparisons to the Watergate-era "Saturday Night Massacre" and raised broader concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement.

Sources

• The New York Times: Trump Official’s Demand in Adams Case Forces Justice Dept. Showdown

• CNN: Drama over Adams case raises questions about Trump administration’s ‘weaponization’ of justice

• NBC News: Adams case and other Trump moves threaten to open corruption floodgates, experts say

• Fox News: Trump's Justice Department order to drop charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams sparks resignations

• The Washington Post: Top N.Y. prosecutor, others resign after order to drop Eric Adams case

• The Wall Street Journal: Top U.S. Prosecutors Resign After Order to Drop Eric Adams Case

Key Points

• Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered the DOJ to drop bribery charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, citing political bias in the prosecution.

• The order led to the resignation of Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and at least five senior DOJ officials.

• Resigning officials argued the dismissal was politically motivated and compromised the integrity of the justice system.

• The Trump administration has framed the decision as an effort to "de-weaponize" the DOJ, while critics argue it demonstrates political interference.

• The controversy echoes the Watergate-era "Saturday Night Massacre," raising concerns over the DOJ’s independence.

Unique Highlights

• The New York Times detailed the internal resistance within the DOJ, including a reported fear among career prosecutors of being forced to choose between unethical actions or termination.

• CNN highlighted the argument that Adams' legal team suggested a quid pro quo, offering cooperation on immigration enforcement in exchange for the case’s dismissal.

• NBC News expanded the scope, reporting that the DOJ has also scaled back anti-corruption efforts, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement.

• Fox News emphasized the Trump administration’s argument that the DOJ had been weaponized under Biden and that the order was necessary to prevent political prosecutions.

• The Washington Post revealed that the DOJ’s reasoning for the dismissal included Adams’ importance to national security and immigration policy.

• The Wall Street Journal reported that Adams' case could still be revived later, giving Trump’s DOJ leverage over the mayor.

Contrasting Details

• Fox News framed the resignations as the removal of partisan actors unwilling to follow DOJ priorities, whereas The New York Times, CNN, and NBC News portrayed them as principled resignations in response to unethical demands.

• CNN and The Washington Post emphasized the alleged quid pro quo in the case’s dismissal, while Fox News dismissed this angle.

• NBC News linked the Adams case to a broader rollback of anti-corruption measures, while The Wall Street Journal focused more on the immediate DOJ turmoil.

• The New York Times and The Washington Post underscored the historical significance of the resignations, comparing them to Watergate, whereas Fox News largely avoided that parallel.

• The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal reported that DOJ leadership placed Manhattan prosecutors on leave and threatened disciplinary actions, a detail largely absent from other reports.

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This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).