Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. lawyer with the Southern District of New York, resigned Friday morning in a notice to Deputy Appearing Legal professional Common Emil Bove. Scotten’s determination to resign comes a day after Appearing U.S. Legal professional Danielle Sassoon, Scotten’s boss, additionally left her submit following orders by Bove to dismiss the case towards the New York mayor.
Bove, in a letter to Sassoon on Thursday, mentioned he was inserting Scotten and one other AUSA on depart.
“You indicated that the prosecution team is aware of your communications with the Justice Department, is supportive of your approach, and is unwilling to comply with the order to dismiss the case. Accordingly, the AUSAs principally responsible for this case are being placed on off-duty, administrative leave pending investigations by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Professional Responsibility, both of which will also evaluate your conduct,” Bove had mentioned.
The DOJ order to dismiss the corruption case towards the mayor had come from Bove, the present number-two official on the Justice Division below newly confirmed Legal professional Common Pam Bondi. Bove’s memo mentioned federal prosecutors wanted to drop the case, partially, as a result of it impacted Adams’ potential to deal with “unlawful immigration and violent crime.”
The case, in line with the docket, had not been dropped as of Thursday.
In a separate letter Sassoon despatched to Bondi, Sassoon mentioned Adams’ attorneys in a gathering with the DOJ in January basically proposed a “quid pro quo.”
“I attended a meeting on January 31, 2025, with Mr. Bove, Adams’ counsel, and members of my office. Adams’s attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with Department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed. Mr. Bove admonished a member of my team who took notes during that meeting and directed the collection of those notes at the meeting’s conclusion,” Sassoon.
Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, denied Sassoon’s recounting of the assembly and her allegation of a “quid pro quo” proposal.
“The idea that there was a quid pro quo is a total lie. We offered nothing and the department asked nothing of us,” Spiro mentioned in a press release to NBC New York. “I don’t know what ‘amounted to’ means. We were asked if the case had any bearing on national security and immigration enforcement and we truthfully answered it did.”
In Scotten’s resignation letter, he mentioned he understands how the administration might see the “contemplated dismissal-with-leverage as a good, if distasteful, deal.”
“Any assistant U.S. attorney would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials, in this way. If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But is was never going to me,” Scotten wrote.
In all, 5 different high-ranking Justice Division officers resigned Thursday along with Sassoon, a surprising escalation in a dayslong standoff over accusations the Trump administration is prioritizing political goals over legal culpability.
Adams has pleaded not responsible to the fees and has denied any wrongdoing, saying the case was politically motivated.
Bove mentioned the Justice Division will now take over the Adams case from the SDNY.
“I take no pleasure in imposing these measures, initiating investigations, and requiring personnel from the Justice Department to come to your District to do work that your team should have done and was required to do,” Bove mentioned.
Requested by reporters Thursday whether or not he requested that the fees be dismissed, President Donald Trump mentioned, “No, I didn’t. I know nothing about it.”
