Danielle R. Sassoon, Manhattan’s acting U.S. attorney appointed by President Donald Trump, quit Thursday after being told to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — and her action elicited cheers from legal experts.
The New York Times first reported her decision, saying she refused to "obey a Justice Department order that she drop a corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams." However, her mass email to colleagues didn't reference that case.
The Times later updated its story to say she supported the Adams indictment, but did not officially announce the reason for the resignation.
The Times reported that Sassoon is a member of the conservative Federalist Society. Rolling Stone reporter Noah Shachtman noted that she clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and "is no lefty." She is still listed on the Heritage website.
ALSO READ: It's a crime spree — not a 'constitutional crisis'
It was a move that was championed by legal experts asking for more courage from lawyers in the Trump administration.
"This is the courage required of people who serve at the Justice Dept. Sassoon resigns, at no small personal cost, to protest the unjust order from DC to dismiss the case against Mayor Adams. Without fear or favor," said former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance, posting the article.
"Holy s--t!" exclaimed former Barack Obama appointee Eric Columbus.
"This is shocking because Sassoon is a Trump administration appointee! She’s a career SDNY lawyer with conservative bona fides whom Trump elevated to run the office," he continued.
Columbus went on to quote Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me."
National security lawyer Bradley P. Moss posted a GIF of a child tipping his hat and saying "RESPECT!"
Former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann called the news a "Huge development."
"Well, we’ve found our Sally Yates. Time to lionize another prosecutor without scrutinizing her record in the slightest," said civil rights lawyer Athul K. Acharya.
Legal journalist Cristian Farias mentioned, "In details that nobody but me cares about: Her resignation is a bit of a rebuke to John Roberts' view of presidential power. As you may recall from the immunity ruling, even corrupt control of 'the investigative and prosecutorial functions of the Justice Department and its officials' is immune."
