Trump DOJ ignores court order to make Adams corruption case documents public
The US Department of Justice defied a court order to unseal documents in Mayor Eric Adams’ historic corruption case on Friday — withholding records that would have given the public an inside look at the prosecution that will never see the inside of a courtroom.The court filings were expected to be unveiled before 11:59 p.m.
Friday after The Post and other outlets demanded access to the cache of evidence and documents, including a warrant for Hizzoner’s cellphone that was seized by agents on a New York street.The DOJ did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho granted the release of documents last week based on the public interest of the upcoming election for mayor, with no objection from the DOJ or Adams’ camp.The federal criminal case against Adams was dismissed for good in early April by a judge who said it would ensure the prosecution couldn’t be held over the mayor’s head by the Trump administration as he runs the city.
Ho’s ruling broke with the Department of Justice, which sought to halt the case for the time being, but wanted to keep the ability to resurrect it in the future.“Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” Ho wrote in the 78-page ruling.Adams had faced a five-count indictment, including bribery and fraud, accusing him of pocketing more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and travel perks from people seeking to buy influence with him, including a Turkish official.Prosecutors said they had also been preparing an expanded indictment charging Adams with lying to the FBI and destroying evidence before the DOJ offered its stunning reprieve.Adams has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.Ho, in tossing the case, didn’t address the merits of the feds’ evidence — which had remained under wraps pending the anticipated trial.The judge approved the release of the sealed documents last week after moti...