New York City Mayor Eric Adams thanked the Justice Department for ordering a halt to his criminal corruption case and castigated the prosecution as “cruel” while vowing to regain the trust of voters ahead of his upcoming election.

The Justice Department on Monday ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, arguing in a remarkable departure from long-standing norms that the case was interfering with the mayor's ability to aid the president's crackdown on illegal immigration.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams thanked the Justice Department on Tuesday for directing prosecutors to drop the federal case against him, saying he never broke the law or traded power for personal benefit.