Department of Justice officials have discussed with Manhattan prosecutors dropping corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to the New York Times, which cited people with knowledge of the situation.

The officials have also had discussions with Adams’ defense team, led by Alex Spiro, and the president has been in direct contact with the mayor for weeks, the paper wrote. A spokesman for Adams declined to comment and referred to Spiro, who hasn’t returned a request for comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.

Manhattan prosecutors charged Adams in September with accepting illegal campaign donations and taking luxury travel upgrades from the government of Turkey in exchange for pressuring officials to permit the opening of a new tower consulate without a proper fire inspection.

The first New York mayor to be indicted while in office in modern history, Adams faces charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy and soliciting illegal campaign contributions that date back before his election in 2021. He’s pleaded not guilty, has refused to step down and also made overtures to President Donald Trump. He embraced him at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at Madison Square Garden after the election, traveled to Mar-a-Lago in Florida just before the inauguration to meet the president-elect and attended his inauguration in Washington DC.

Adams has suggested the prosecution is politically motivated because of his outspoken criticism of the Biden Administration’s handling of migrants at the U.S. southern border. The prosecutors leading the case told the court that their investigation began before October 2021, when Damian Williams — the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan under Joe Biden — began his term, and before Adams took office.

Williams stepped down in December, and Trump has said he would nominate former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Jay Clayton to lead the office.

In recent months Adams has avoided criticizing Trump, refusing to weigh in on the president’s controversial executive orders on birthright citizenship or his decision to pardon hundreds of people convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.

He’s also said he would work with the Trump administration to find ways to deport violent criminals and allow more cooperation between federal and local law enforcement on immigration. Other Democratic leaders have vowed to oppose the incoming administration’s expected immigration crackdown.

“I’m going to make sure that I am not warring with the president. I’m working with the president,” Adams said at a recent press conference.

Adams’ critics have questioned the mayor’s motives for his overtures to the new president, who has said he would “look at” pardoning the mayor as he “was treated pretty unfairly.” Adams has said he hasn’t communicated with Trump about a pardon, but has said his attorneys are pursuing every avenue.

Under Adams, City Hall has been targeted with corruption investigations leading to numerous charges and resignations by the people around him. He’s scheduled to go before a jury on April 21, about two months before the June primaries start for the mayoral election.

Spiro was in court Wednesday for a closed door hearing about classified information that may be relevant in his trial. Adams, who was not required to attend, was not present.

In recent days, Adams has had no public events, which his staff said was because of an undisclosed illness. A spokesperson for the mayor said he was expected to return to public duties on Thursday.

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