Barbara McQuade, Columnist

Justice Department’s Order to Drop Eric Adams Case Is Nonsensical

The Trump DOJ admits the decision was made without assessing the evidence against the New York City mayor.

February 11, 2025 at 8:22 PM UTC

Barbara McQuade is a professor at the University of Michigan Law school, a former US attorney and author of "Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America."

He’s got friends in high places.
Photographer: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America

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The US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, officially known as the Southern District of New York, has proudly carried its nickname because of its storied independence. While all U.S. attorneys have traditionally had discretion in deciding whether to file charges in individual cases, SDNY has a reputation for fiercely defending its power to do so.

This is the office that successfully prosecuted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, former Democratic Senator Bob Mendendez and other powerful figures.