OGs 

To the editor:

Federal District Judge Dale Ho dismissed with prejudice the five-count federal indictment for corruption against Mayor Adams. “Everything here smacks of a bargain: Dismissal of the indictment [with Trump’s Justice Department never examining the merits of the case] in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” Ho wrote. 

The judge found “no evidence — zero — that [the U.S. Attorney’s office] had any improper motives … prosecutors on this case followed all appropriate Justice Department guidelines.”  He also wrote that if public officials “receive special dispensation” when they comply with administration’s policy, it is “fundamentally incompatible with…equal justice under law.”  Danielle Sassoon, the former acting Manhattan U.S. attorney, who had said the indictment outlined a strong case, resigned over what she called a “quid pro quo” deal between the mayor and the Trump administration.

Adams for months had genuflected before Trump. Even after having the case dismissed, he refuses to criticize the President. This is despite the Trump administration’s deranged and authoritarian agenda. Adams insists he had made no deal with the White House, saying the case “should have never been brought, and I did nothing wrong.” 

He also claims, without evidence, that the prosecution by Biden’s Justice Department was “politically motivated” even though the corruption dated back to 2015, and Trump’s Justice Department couldn’t be more politicized.

“Jesus stepped in, and he uses who he uses,” he said. Adams announced he discovered the rationale for his prosecution.  It was in a book by Kash Patel, the conspiracy theorist, Trump loyalist and new FBI director. It’s called, unironically, “Government Gangsters.” Adams’ advice was “to encourage every New Yorker to read it and understand how we can never allow this to happen to another innocent American.”

New Yorkers actually should never allow someone like Eric Adams to become mayor.

Howard Elterman