What's next for NYC Mayor Eric Adams as a judge weighs dismissing his corruption case?

NEW YORK — (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is in a state of legal and political purgatory.

The first-term Democrat is waiting on a judge to rule on a Justice Department request to dismiss a federal indictment charging him with accepting lavish travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from foreign interests seeking to buy his influence.

And he's waiting on the political fallout — namely, whether Gov. Kathy Hochul will go beyond guardrails and seek to remove him from office amid concerns that he's compromised his independence by relying on President Donald Trump's administration to end his criminal case.

Adams testified under oath at a hearing Wednesday on the Justice Department's request, insisting there was no quid pro quo arrangement to shelve his criminal case. But a lawyer for the government argued that dropping the case was necessary to ensure Adams could aid Trump's immigration crackdown — a highly unusual rationale that has reinforced concerns that the mayor is now beholden to the Republican administration.

Here's a look at where things stand:

U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho is weighing a Justice Department request to dismiss the criminal case against Adams, which includes charges of conspiracy, wire fraud soliciting illegal campaign contributions and soliciting and accepting a bribe.

Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Emil Bove argued that the Justice Department is simply exercising "prosecutorial discretion" based on a Trump executive order that aims to end the "weaponization of prosecutorial power."

Bove, the department’s second-in-command, said the charges are impeding Adams’ ability to govern and his campaign for a second term. Dropping the case, he said, is necessary to ensure Adams can assist in the Republican president's national security and immigration enforcement initiatives.

The Justice Department is seeking the option to revive the case at a later date, and Bove has said the new, permanent Manhattan U.S. attorney will review the matter after the November election.

Adams has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing.

Yes. Seven prosecutors have resigned in protest, including Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, who quit rather than follow Bove's directive to drop the case.

Interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, a Republican, accused Adams' lawyers of offering a "quid pro quo" on immigration and said it's "a breathtaking and dangerous precedent" to reward Adams for his "opportunistic and shifting commitments on immigration and other policy matters."

Another prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, wrote in his resignation letter: "No system of ordered liberty can allow the Government to use the carrot of dismissing charges, or the stick of threatening to bring them again, to induce an elected official to support its policy objectives."

Late Thursday, three former U.S. attorneys — from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey — submitted a letter urging Ho to "hear from parties other than the government and the defendant in deciding about the appropriate next steps."

Separately, a former Watergate prosecutor has filed papers asking Ho to reject the dismissal request and consider appointing an independent special prosecutor to try the case.

The judge did not set a timetable but indicated he'll rule soon.

“It’s not in anyone’s interest here for this to drag on,” Ho said as he wrapped up the 80-minute hearing on Wednesday. “But to exercise my discretion properly, I’m not going to shoot from the hip right here on the bench.”

Ho acknowledged his role is “quite narrow." Judges rarely reject dismissal motions in cases where the government and defense are in agreement.

Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, said no appeals court has ever sided with a judge who rejected an unopposed motion to dismiss a criminal case. Until about 80 years ago, such requests were granted automatically, without a judge weighing in.

Adams' trial is scheduled to begin April 21 and he faces multiple challengers in June's Democratic primary.

Yes, though the process is untested and opaque — even to government wonks. For months, Hochul, an Adams ally and fellow Democrat, has acknowledged as much, firmly rejecting calls to exercise her removal powers against him.

Hochul appeared to soften this week after four of Adams' top deputies announced their resignations. She summoned key officials and power brokers on Tuesday to a series of one-on-one meetings about "the path forward."

But by Thursday, the governor had resolved to not immediately remove Adams from office. Instead, she said she will push for increased oversight. Among her proposals: a special inspector general for the city and allowing other elected city officials — the comptroller, public advocate and council speaker — to initiate lawsuits against the Trump administration.

It's a court-like process. Hochul would serve Adams with charges outlining the reasons for his removal and provide him with an opportunity to defend himself.

Experts say it’s far from clear how would play out. The closest it’s come to happening was nearly a century ago when Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt launched a trial against Mayor Jimmy Walker, who subsequently resigned and moved to Europe to avoid criminal prosecution.

Hochul this week raised the possibility of exercising her unique power, but stopped short of saying she is ready to do so.

“Overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly,” she said in a statement Monday. “That said, the alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored.”

With typical defiance and bravado. In recent days, he has described calls for him to step down as “a modern-day ‘Mein Kampf,’" likened himself to Lazarus and insisted that he would “never surrender.”

At Wednesday's hearing, Adams appeared almost buoyant — cracking jokes in the courtroom to the judge about failing his law classes and flashing a thumbs-up to cameras as he left the hearing. He said he wasn't worried about the Justice Department seeking the option to refile the case later on.

“I have not committed a crime and I don’t see them bringing it back,” Adams told Ho. “I’m not afraid of that.”

Adams is maintaining a busy schedule, with plans Thursday to speak at an Islamic cultural center and an Israeli fundraiser. At the same time, the self-described “swagger mayor” has increasingly shied away from reporters, canceling his off-topic briefings for two consecutive weeks.

Asked why this week, Adams replied: “Because y’all are liars.”

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Associated Press reporter Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this report.

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