Mass Resignations Over Adams Bribery Case Dismissal

Three federal prosecutors—Celia Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom—resigned after refusing Justice Department demands to admit wrongdoing as a condition for reinstatement, following their opposition to dropping a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The case was dismissed by Trump administration officials, reportedly not on its merits but to secure Adams' cooperation on immigration policy, raising allegations of a political 'quid pro quo.' The prosecutors and other departed colleagues criticized the Department's actions as undermining legal and ethical standards and insisted on their integrity. Judge Dale Ho, who dismissed the case, found no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct. The controversy has led to the largest mass resignation of Justice Department lawyers since Watergate and significant turmoil within the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, now headed by Trump appointee Jay Clayton. These developments have heightened concerns about the politicization of federal prosecutions and the independence of the Justice Department.