For Immediate Release
Contact: Lauren Mannerberg, lauren@anatgerstein.com, 929 553-7702
New York, NY (April 2, 2025) – Citizens Union today released the following statement from Chairman John Avlon in response to dismissal of corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams:
Judge Dale Ho’s decision to dismiss the charges against Mayor Eric Adams does not erase the deep ethical concerns surrounding this corruption case.
As Judge Ho himself stated, “Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions.” His ruling only reinforces what we have said all along—New Yorkers cannot be confident that this Mayor will put the city’s interests before his own.
This case was never just about legal proceedings; it was about the core integrity of our democracy. New York is not for sale. New Yorkers deserve a government that operates transparently, independently, and in service of the public good—not one where legal outcomes are influenced by political backroom deals brokered in DC.
As Judge Ho noted, the idea that “public officials may receive special dispensation if they are compliant with the incumbent administration’s policy priorities” is “fundamentally incompatible with the basic promise of equal justice under law” and “disturbing in its breadth.” The suggestion that the federal government may be “seeking to extract policy concessions from the Mayor” in exchange for a favorable outcome should alarm all New Yorkers.
Judge Ho’s ruling does not change the fact that Mayor Adams put his personal self-interest ahead of the public interest. That is unacceptable. New Yorkers deserve leadership they can trust to steer our city with independence and integrity.
About Citizens Union
For over 125 years, Citizens Union has been a leading non-partisan advocate for reform, accountability, and ethics in New York City and State government. Learn more at www.citizensunion.org
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