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Manhattan federal declined to rule immediately, leaving in place for now charges that Adams accepted lavish travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from foreign interests seeking to buy his influence. Adams has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing.

The Justice Department69制片厂制作传媒檚 push to end the case has caused a rift between its leadership in Washington, who see him as an ally in pursuing President Donald Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 immigration goals, and the federal prosecutors69制片厂制作传媒� office in Manhattan, which brought the charges and rebuffed commands to drop them. Seven prosecutors resigned in protest.

69制片厂制作传媒淚69制片厂制作传媒檓 not going to shoot from the hip right here on the bench,69制片厂制作传媒� Ho said, sighing heavily as he closed the 80-minute proceeding.

The judge said he wanted to carefully review the 69制片厂制作传媒渦nusual situation." Acknowledging political and legal implications, which include Adams69制片厂制作传媒� reelection campaign and April 21 trial date, Ho indicated that he would rule soon, saying, 69制片厂制作传媒渋t is not in anyone69制片厂制作传媒檚 interest for this to drag on.69制片厂制作传媒�

No one objecting to the Justice Department69制片厂制作传媒檚 request spoke Wednesday, though some have written to the court, Ho said. He also touched on letters in which now-former prosecutors urged Justice Department officials last week to keep the case alive.

Ho called the hearing after and two other lawyers from Justice Department headquarters filed paperwork last Friday seeking a dismissal. Bove stepped in after quit rather than drop the case.

Closely watching how things play out is Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has said she is considering removing Adams from office amid concerns that his reliance on the Trump administration to end his criminal case has left him politically compromised.

Adams appeared in high spirits as he came and went from court, a shift from past appearances. Strolling slowly into the courtroom, he embraced Black clergy members sitting in the front row.

Bove, sitting alone at the prosecution table, told Ho that the Justice Department was simply exercising 69制片厂制作传媒減rosecutorial discretion69制片厂制作传媒� based on a Trump executive order outlining his criminal justice priorities and that granting the request was the only option. Bove said the decision to seek dismissal was reached without assessing the strength of the evidence.

The request is 69制片厂制作传媒渧irtually unreviewable in this courtroom," he argued.

Adams69制片厂制作传媒� lawyer, Alex Spiro, said no appeals court has ever sided with a judge who rejected an unopposed motion to dismiss a criminal case. Pressed by Ho, Bove conceded that he was not aware of another case where the Justice Department went to bat to dismiss an indictment or cease a prosecution for a public official like this.

Reiterating arguments from the dismissal motion and a Feb. 10 memorandum that set off a firestorm about the future of the case, Bove said the charges were impeding Adams69制片厂制作传媒� ability to govern, hampering his campaign for a second term and impeding his cooperation with the administration69制片厂制作传媒檚 immigration crackdown.

69制片厂制作传媒淔rankly I think the fact that Mayor Adams is sitting to my left right now is part of the problem,69制片厂制作传媒� Bove said. 69制片厂制作传媒淗e69制片厂制作传媒檚 not able to be out running the city and campaigning. I think that is actual interference with the election.69制片厂制作传媒�

Bove urged Ho to ignore outside voices and reject suggestions that the Justice Department69制片厂制作传媒檚 interest in Adams was part of a quid pro quo.

Adams testified that there was no 69制片厂制作传媒渙ther agreement69制片厂制作传媒� between himself and the government.

69制片厂制作传媒淵ou have a record, undisputed, that there is no quid pro quo,69制片厂制作传媒� Bove argued. 69制片厂制作传媒淚 don69制片厂制作传媒檛 concede 69制片厂制作传媒� and I don69制片厂制作传媒檛 think it69制片厂制作传媒檚 correct 69制片厂制作传媒� that even if there was a quid pro quo, there would be any issue with this motion.69制片厂制作传媒�

Ho also questioned the mayor about a provision in the dismissal motion that would allow the Justice Department to revive the case at a later date.

69制片厂制作传媒淚 understand that, judge,69制片厂制作传媒� Adams said. 69制片厂制作传媒淚 have not committed a crime, and I don69制片厂制作传媒檛 see them bringing it back.69制片厂制作传媒�

Adams was indicted in September and accused of accepting more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and travel perks from a Turkish official and business leaders seeking to buy influence while he was Brooklyn borough president. He faces multiple challengers in June69制片厂制作传媒檚 .

Bove ordered then-interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon to ditch the case last week after meeting with Adams69制片厂制作传媒� lawyers last month in Washington.

Sassoon, who attended the meeting, urging her to reconsider. In a Feb. 12 letter, Sassoon wrote that dismissing the charges in return for Adams' assistance on immigration would betray Bondi's own words that she 69制片厂制作传媒渨ill not tolerate abuses of the criminal justice process, coercive behavior, or other forms of misconduct.69制片厂制作传媒�

69制片厂制作传媒淒ismissal of the indictment for no other reason than to influence Adams69制片厂制作传媒檚 mayoral decision-making would be all three,69制片厂制作传媒� said Sassoon, a Republican. She said it amounted to a quid pro quo and disclosed that her office had been about to charge Adams with additional crimes.

Another prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, told Bove in a that it would take a 69制片厂制作传媒渇ool69制片厂制作传媒� or a 69制片厂制作传媒渃oward69制片厂制作传媒� to meet , 69制片厂制作传媒渂ut it was never going to be me.69制片厂制作传媒�

Bondi69制片厂制作传媒檚 chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, defended the department69制片厂制作传媒檚 dismissal request in a social media blitz before Wednesday's hearing, writing on X: 69制片厂制作传媒淭he case against Mayor Adams was just one in a long history of past DOJ actions that represent grave errors of judgement."

Sassoon and her colleagues have found support for their stand from a small army of former prosecutors.

Nathaniel Akerman, a former Watergate prosecutor, telling the judge to reject the government's request, to consider assigning a special counsel to explore the legal issues and ultimately to consider appointing an independent special prosecutor to try the case.

Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed.