“This Is Going to End Up in Court”: Sassoon’s Explosive Resignation Letter Challenges Bove

News
Alex Jane
February 14, 2025
0
265
9 minutes read

(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A legal battle is brewing following the resignation of acting Assistant Attorney General Danelle Sassoon, who accused Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove of engaging in a quid pro quo involving New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Sassoon’s allegations, outlined in her resignation letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, have raised concerns among legal experts, with one analyst predicting the dispute will ultimately land in court.

Bove’s response to Sassoon’s resignation first surfaced publicly, and her own letter was later released, revealing claims that Bove sought to leverage Adams’ cooperation on immigration enforcement in exchange for leniency in his criminal case. A former CIA attorney, known by the pseudonym “Secrets and Laws,” highlighted a key footnote in Bove’s letter, suggesting he anticipated controversy.

“This footnote always felt like Bove knew a s—storm was coming and he was trying to get ahead of it. Generally speaking, it’s best not to go to war with SDNY,” the former CIA attorney noted. The footnote in question states: “Your Office correctly noted in a February 3, 2025 memorandum, as Mr. Bove clearly stated to defense counsel during our meeting [on January 31, 2025], the Government is not offering to exchange dismissal of a criminal case for Adams’s assistance on immigration enforcement.”

However, Sassoon’s resignation letter paints a different picture. She asserts that Adams’ offer to assist with immigration enforcement was an improper attempt to secure a favorable outcome in his case.

Yup, from today's letter. Sassoon thinks there was a quid pro quo, and Bove is likely misrepresenting something from her memo.
— Secrets and Laws (@secretsandlaws.bsky.social) 2025-02-13T21:07:28.583Z

“Rather than be rewarded, Adams’s advocacy should be called out for what it is: an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case,” Sassoon wrote. “Although Mr. Bove disclaimed any intention to exchange leniency in this case for Adams’ assistance in enforcing federal law, that is the nature of the bargain laid bare.”

Sassoon further criticized Bove’s handling of the situation, particularly his reference to past prisoner exchanges, including that of Viktor Bout. She also requested a direct meeting with Bondi, though it remains unclear whether her request was granted.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes questioned whether Bondi even received the letter, while legal analyst Andrew Weissmann suggested that Sassoon’s stance is backed by a broader coalition of prosecutors and FBI agents. “This is in violation of their oaths of office, and this is why they’re not going to participate,” Weissmann said. He also predicted legal consequences for Bove.

“Bove goes out of his way to say ‘this is not an adverse employment action,’ when, of course, it is,” Weissmann stated. “It’s another sort of false denial. This is going to end up in court. The palpably thin and fallacious letters that we’re seeing out of Emil Bove are going to be challenged.”

Weissmann pointed to past lawsuits involving former FBI officials Andy McCabe, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page, all of whom successfully contested their dismissals in court. If his predictions hold, the controversy surrounding Sassoon’s resignation may be far from over.