U.S. Legal professional Danielle Sassoon of the Southern District of New York abruptly give up her submit on Thursday, three days after being ordered to drop legal costs in opposition to Mayor Eric Adams.
Photograph courtesy U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York
U.S. Legal professional Danielle Sassoon of the Southern District of New York abruptly give up her submit on Thursday, three days after being ordered to drop legal costs in opposition to Mayor Eric Adams.
Sassoon’s resignation got here in a Feb. 13 letter to U.S. Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi, in response to Reuters. Her tenure on the helm of the Manhattan-based federal prosecutor’s workplace (SDNY) lasted lower than a month; President Trump had appointed her to the submit on Jan. 21.
It’s unclear whether or not Sassoon’s departure was associated to the orders she acquired on Feb. 10 from Deputy Legal professional Normal Emil Bove to drop the pending indictment in opposition to Adams, who was charged final September with 5 legal counts in an election fraud case courting again to 2021.
Bove, in a memo to Sassoon, stated the choice got here not as a matter of the case itself however that the approaching trial in opposition to Adams would intervene each along with his re-election marketing campaign and the mayor’s means to cooperate with the Trump administration in its ongoing crackdown in opposition to undocumented individuals in America.
Bove stated the case could be halted “without prejudice,” which means that the Justice Division may resurrect it at any time—a call many critics imagine could be used to compel Adams to cooperate with the president on the immigration crackdown and different efforts.
By legislation, nevertheless, Sassoon and the presiding decide within the case, Dale Ho, would have needed to consent to the dismissal; as of Thursday, Reuters reported, the SDNY had but to file a movement to dismiss the case.
The DOJ’s resolution to drop the legal indictment prompted each Adams and his legal professional, Alex Spiro, to declare vindication.
Sassoon had been with the SDNY since 2016 and notably led the prosecution of convicted FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried. Given the pending affirmation of former SEC Chair Jay Clayton, Trump’s preliminary choose for the submit, her tenure on the SDNY helm was anticipated to be momentary from the outset — although few anticipated it might final solely weeks.
This can be a growing story; test with amNY.com later for additional updates.
