ISTANBUL

The US Justice Department on Monday ordered federal prosecutors in Manhattan to dismiss corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.

The directive was made in a letter from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, according to multiple US news outlets.

The Justice Department argued that the indictment last fall disrupted his ability to tackle illegal immigration and violent crime, while also limiting his cooperation with President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Adams had been accused of accepting campaign donations from foreign nationals and engaging in wire fraud and bribery.

He had pleaded not guilty to five charges, including bribery, conspiracy, and violations of campaign finance violations.

The mayor called the charges politically motivated, and pledged to fight them in court to clear his name.

Bove, who represented Trump in his criminal trial last year, said the Justice Department "reached this conclusion without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based."

The Manhattan US Attorney’s office, which initiated the case, has yet to comment.

Three days before his inauguration, Adams met Trump at his Florida golf club, continuing efforts to strengthen ties with the administration.