Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) after the Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against the mayor, claiming he is now “compromised” by President Trump.
“The Mayor of New York City has been compromised. The fear of a renewed federal prosecution after the 2025 election keeps him perpetually under the thumb of Donald Trump,” Torres wrote in a Tuesday post on X. “The City of New York has been all but reduced to a subsidiary of the Trump Administration.”
Adams was hit with an indictment in September last year, including charges of wire fraud, solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and bribery. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In a short memo Monday night, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said the case “improperly interfered” with Adams’s 2025 mayoral campaign and “unduly restricted” Adams’ stated efforts combat “illegal immigration and violent crime that has escalated under the policies of the prior Administration.”
Adams reiterated his stance that he did nothing wrong on Tuesday, but added that he still needs work to regain the trust of New Yorkers.
“It’s time to move forward,” Adams said. “But despite the fact that I am no longer facing legal questions, I also understand that many New Yorkers will still question my character, and I know that I must continue to regain your trust.”
The New York City mayor has built some rapport with Trump since last year, meeting with the commander-in-chief ahead of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. Trump had previously said he would “look at” pardoning Adams.
Torres, who has signaled a possible run for New York governor, has gone after Adams before. In late November last year, the House Democrat hammered both Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) after at least three people were murdered by a stabber in Manhattan.
When reached for comment, Adams’ office pointed The Hill to the mayor’s speech from earlier on Tuesday.
