Danielle R. Sassoon, the newly appointed U.S. attorney for Manhattan, has written a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi accusing a top Justice Department official of playing politics and engaging in an unethical quid pro quo.
Sassoon ordered by her predecessor, Emil Bove, Trump’s former defense lawyer, to drop a corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York without prejudice. This means the case can be resurrected later, potentially giving Trump leverage over the mayor and New York City.
In her letter, Sassoon claims that she cannot in good faith obey an order that she believes is not in the public interest or consistent with her values of fairness. She suggests that Bove’s order would grant Adams leniency solely because he holds a powerful position and can assist in Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Sassoon accuses Bove and Adams of engaging in a quid pro quo, calling it “breathtaking and dangerous precedent.” She also claims that she was left out of what was effectively a negotiation about her case between Bove and Adams’s lawyers.
The letter reveals that prosecutors in Sassoon’s office had sought permission to add obstruction conspiracy charges against Adams for destroying evidence and instructing others to lie to the FBI. The request was apparently not approved.
Sassoon is confident that Adams committed the crimes he was charged with, despite the mayor’s assertions of his innocence. She reminds Bondi of her own recent order calling on prosecutors to make “good faith” arguments supporting the administration’s positions.
Ultimately, Sassoon offers to resign rather than go along with an order she believes is not in the public interest.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/13/us/doc-annotation-letter-to-bondi.html