Three prosecutors in corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams resign

Source: Reuters

April 22, 2025 1:16 PM EDT Updated 2 hours ago


WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The three remaining federal prosecutors who brought criminal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned in protest on Tuesday, saying the Justice Department pressured them to admit wrongdoing when they refused to drop the case, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

"It is now clear that one of the preconditions you have placed on our returning to the office is that we must express regret and admit some wrongdoing," the three prosecutors wrote in their letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none."

The three assistant U.S. attorneys - Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach and Derek Wikstrom - were all previously placed on administrative leave after they refused orders by Blanche's office to dismiss the charges against Adams.

All five of the prosecutors who were originally involved in the prosecution out of the New York Office, including former Acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, have resigned in protest, along with at least six career attorneys in Washington who were also pressured to drop the case. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, declined to comment. A spokesman for Blanche's office could not be immediately reached for comment.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/three-prosecutors-corruption-case-against-nyc-mayor-eric-adams-resign-according-2025-04-22/