Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday thanked the Justice Department for ordering federal prosecutors to drop the federal corruption case against him, while continuing to maintain his innocence. 

Speaking at a news conference, Adams said he “said from the outset, I never broke the law, and I never would.” 

“It is worth repeating the facts, because many sensational and false claims have been made, so let me be clear: I never asked anyone to break the law on my behalf, or on behalf of my campaign. Never,” he said. “And I absolutely never traded my power as an elected official for any personal benefit.” 

“Now we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city. It’s time to move forward,” he added. 

In a memo, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, to drop all of the charges Adams faces, including bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. 

Bove wrote that the “pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior Administration.”

A spokesperson for Sassoon declined to comment to The Associated Press on Monday.

Adams was indicted in September on federal charges that he accepted bribes and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals in exchange for favors, including helping Turkish officials bypass a fire safety inspection for a consulate building in Manhattan. 

The mayor has consistently denied the allegations, and his legal team reportedly met with senior Justice Department officials last month to discuss the possibility of getting his case dropped.

As the chance of a case dismissal or presidential pardon loomed, Adams faced mounting criticism for refusing to speak out against President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, including one that aims to end birthright citizenship. 

While Adams did not take questions after his news conference, Gov. Kathy Hochul fielded several questions about the Justice Department’s decision at an unrelated briefing Tuesday morning. 

Asked by a reporter Tuesday if the mayor would now be “ill-equipped” to push back against Trump’s policies, Hochul said the reporter was “dealing in hypotheticals.” 

“If you come up with a true example, then we’ll talk about anything. But I’m talking about, I’m not engaging in speculation about the motivation of anyone here,” she said. 

The governor said she had not spoken with Adams since the Justice Department released its memo. 

“Do I think he’s compromised? That is speculation. I don’t know. I don’t know whether anyone is compromised in that situation, I truly do not know,” she said. “I have to believe that the mayor is going to put the interests of New York City first, and I’m going to continue monitoring the situation as I’ve had to do since last fall.”

“I encourage the mayor to examine all of his actions and know that he’s going to be under a spotlight to make sure that people have confidence that there has been no reason why he would not take a certain action, that he has to demonstrate to New Yorkers that he’s putting them first, above all,” she added. “And that includes in his relationships with the White House.”

Though Hochul does have the power to remove Adams from office, the governor said she was “not going to go there.”

“... [T]o suggest that I should at this point in time, just use my power to say, despite what the voters said when you ran three and a half years ago, I’m overturning that election. That does not feel like something that’s very democratic,” she said.

At his briefing Tuesday, Adams said he understood that “many New Yorkers will still question my character, and I know that I must continue to regain your trust.”

“I have learned a lot over the last year, and this experience has been humbling,” he said. “But as we have been dragged through this unfortunate prosecution, I never took my eyes off what was important: you and your families’ future.”

Not all of Adams’ supporters see the dismissal as a win, especially because one condition of dismissal is that the case could be brought back against the mayor in the future.

“They dismissed the charges without prejudice and I think that leaves the door open to charge him if they choose to do so,” the Rev. Al Sharpton told NY1. “I think that what is disturbing is that they lead the mayor and the city almost as hostages.”

Often an Adams ally, Sharpton said the memo from the DOJ lacks explanation and further politicizes the case. He noted that Jan. 6 rioters got a full pardon while Adams remains somewhat on the hook.

Despite his reservations, Sharpton said, “I’m still friends with the mayor and I still believe the mayor deserves to be fairly heard. And I did not see anyone convict him of anything.”