Former Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams rushed to charge Big Apple Mayor Eric Adams – then grandstanded about the corruption case to further his own career, a top Justice Department official claimed Thursday.
In a searing memo to Williams’ successor Danielle Sassoon, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove blasted Williams for “inappropriately politiciz[ing] and taint[ing]” the the historic case he filed against Adams in September.
He noted that Williams launched a personal website akin to a “campaign website” filled with puff-piece stories about his prosecutions of Adams and Sean “Diddy” Combs and penned a January op-ed in City & State New York titled, “An indictment of the sad state of New York government.”
“You did not directly defend the former U.S. Attorney’s behavior in response to a recent defense motion. Nor could you,” Bove wrote to Sassoon, who tendered resignation Thursday by refusing to heed DOJ orders and drop the case against Adams.
“His actions inappropriately politicized and tainted your office’s prosecution, potentially permanently.”
Bove said Williams was motivated to quickly indict Adams because the ex-US attorney of the Southern District of New York was “pursuing potential political appointments in the event Kamala Harris won that election.”
A Biden appointee, Williams served in the top post for three years and stepped down after President Trump was elected.
He has since taken a job at the private law firm Paul Weiss.
