The list of measures purpose-built to cleave off a domain in which the #law does not apply grows by the day: the #pardons that bless & invite #insurrectionary #violence; the #purges of career lawyers at the #DOJ & #SDNY, #InspectorsGeneral across the govt, & snr #FBI agents; the AG’s command that attys obey #Trump over their understanding of the #Constitution; the appointment of people such as #KashPatel & #DanBongino, who…view loyalty to Trump as more compelling than their constitutional oath;

Cohen worked on multiple #mafia cases & prosecutions of violent street #gangs.

The 3d individual placed on leave -- a member of the office's #civil division -- posted about #ElonMusk & #EdMartin, a #Jan6 advocate, leader of the Stop the Steal movement & #Trump's nominee for US attorney in Washington, DC.

A spox for the U.S. Attorney's Office for #SDNY declined to comment.

@Nonilex sadly…it seems foolish to hope at this point.

But that first shot of adrenaline…
When the righteous stood strong…nothing like it!
To these prosecutors…the “rule of law” mattered …
More their politics…& that…really mattered to me.

Don’t we all long to be worthy when called to…
Fight for the same #principles
Exhibited by these ethical, dedicated #prosecutors

I know I do.
Are we now a country of cowards & gluttons?
#sdny #doj #EricAdams #quidproquo #nyc #law

@Nonilex@masto.ai It's not heroic. He just set a precedent that #SDNY can be intimidated into toeing the party line.

On Thurs, 6 lawyers — the #Trump-appointed acting US attorney for #SDNY & 5 prosecutors in Washington — resigned rather than accede to #EmilBove’s demands. On Fri, a 7th stepped down, writing in his resignation letter that only a “fool” or a “coward” would sign off on the dismissal.

But those close to the #PublicIntegrity section prosecutors described Sullivan’s decision to put his name on the document as heroic. The reason … [he did it was] to protect others….

The federal prosecutors in Manhattan who had been involved in #EricAdams’s case sent a letter to Judge Ho Friday evening indicating they were withdrawing from the case. They included #HaganScotten, the lead prosecutor who resigned from #SDNY in protest of #EmilBove’s order to drop charges, & 3 others: Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach & Derek Wikstrom.

Spiro shot back in a public stmnt, saying that if the #SDNY prosecutors “had any proof whatsoever that the mayor destroyed evidence, they would have brought those charges—as they continually threatened to do, but didn’t, over months & months.”

But in private, far from a courtroom, the picture was different. Amid rumblings of potential new charges, Spiro, Burck & #EmilBove appear to have structured what the defense lawyers likely hoped would be the end of the corruption case against #EricAdams.

Until recently, #EmilBove was one of #Trump’s #defense lawyers, representing him in his NY criminal trial last year. The trial led to Trump’s #conviction on 34 #felony counts for falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal that had threatened to derail his 2016 campaign.

#SDNY has long been viewed as the nation’s most prestigious US atty’s office, & has a reputation for guarding its independence & fending off interference from DC, winning it the nickname “the Sovereign District.”
#law

The top federal prosecutor in NY & 2 senior #DOJ officials have resigned after a demand by the #Trump admin to drop #corruption charges against NY Mayor #EricAdams, people familiar w/the resignations said.

#DanielleSassoon, the acting US attorney in #SDNY, resigned after refusing to comply w/the controversial order…. Her resignation was confirmed by Nick Biase, a spox for the Southern District, but he did not address the reason.

Federal prosecutors said that #EricAdams “sought & accepted improper valuable benefits” for at least a decade, when he was then the Brooklyn borough president.

Early this morning, federal agents searched the official residence of Adams, hours before Damian Williams, the US attorney for the #SDNY, will discuss the a federal #indictment against the #NYC mayor.

#MichaelCohen again testifies that the documents were false.

Cohen explains why he didn’t sign a retainer agreement or agree to pay #RobertCostello:
“I didn’t trust him,” he says, explaining that he thought everything he said to Costello would immediately make its way back to #Trump.

Cohen testifies that he signed a waiver in 2019 to talk to the #SDNY about Costello, & he is shown the waiver.

#MichaelCohen says he was told #Costello had worked for #Giuliani at #SDNY. By this time, Giuliani was about to become a lawyer for #Trump on the #Mueller investigation. Cohen testifies that Costello told him this would be a way to have a “backchannel” to #Trump.

In the middle of this Costello backchannel between Cohen & Trump, Cohen says, was Rudy Giuliani. [no bueno]