Judge Dale Ho, a Biden appointee, tapped former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement to challenge the Department of Justice‘s controversial decision to toss out Adams’s charges. Ho set a deadline of March 7 for Clement, the DOJ, and Adams to submit their respective arguments to the court about the case’s dismissal. The judge said he would hear oral arguments on the matter “if necessary” on March 14.

Ho said appointing Clement as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, was the “appropriate” step rather than outright dismissing the case.

“That is particularly so in light of the public importance of this case, which calls for careful deliberation,” Ho wrote in his order.

The unusual move by the judge came after a recent directive from President Donald Trump’s acting deputy attorney general, Emil Bove, to his employees asking them to drop Adams’s charges, briefly plunging the department into a state of turmoil. At least seven officials, including top-tier attorneys in the Southern District of New York, resigned in a period of about 24 hours instead of carrying out the task. Bove himself then appeared in court this week to argue that dropping the charges was necessary, a rare move for someone with a position as high as his in DOJ leadership.

The DOJ has drawn scrutiny for sending mixed messages about its reasons for dropping Adams’s charges. One of the lawyers who quit complicated matters by accusing Bove and Adams of partaking in a closed-door quid pro quo that involved Adams agreeing to assist Trump with his immigration agenda in exchange for Trump dismissing Adams’s indictment.

New York Democrats have called on Adams to resign over the accusation, while Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) revealed this week that she intended to impose sanctions on Adams that would weaken his authority.

The SDNY brought the indictment against Adams, a former Brooklyn borough president, last year during the Biden administration, alleging he accepted illegal campaign donations and luxury international travel from foreign businesspeople and a Turkish government official. He used his political power to offer them “favorable treatment” in return, prosecutors alleged. Adams pleaded not guilty.

JUDGE PRESSES TRUMP DOJ APPOINTEE ON DECISION TO DROP ERIC ADAMS CHARGES

Clement, whom Ho appointed to challenge the DOJ on why it wanted to drop Adams’s charges, is a prominent conservative attorney. He is known for arguing high-profile cases in federal courts, including the Supreme Court. He served as solicitor general from 2005 to 2008 under former President George W. Bush, building a reputation as one of the nation’s top appellate lawyers.

A founding partner of Clement & Murphy PLLC, Clement has worked on landmark cases shaping constitutional and administrative law, often advocating conservative views on executive power, federalism, and limiting government regulation.