Lawyer for NYC Mayor Eric Adams asking DOJ to drop case against him, sources say

An attorney for New York Mayor Eric Adams has contacted Justice Department leadership with a plea to drop the case against him, and officials in Washington have discussed the request with prosecutors in New York, two people briefed on the matter confirmed to NBC News.

The outreach from Adams' lawyer is not unusual for a high-profile defendant like Adams, hoping for a fresh look at a case from a new administration’s Justice Department. There is no indication, however, that federal prosecutors in Manhattan are going to drop the case, a person familiar with the matter said.

The office of the acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove is involved in the discussions with the Southern District of New York and Adams’ team about the pending case, a Justice Department official told NBC News.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined comment.