During his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing to become the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche suggested that he had no direct knowledge of the decision to abandon a criminal corruption case against the mayor of New York City.
But in a draft letter unsealed on Tuesday, the interim U.S. attorney in Manhattan wrote that a top department official, Emil Bove III, had suggested otherwise before ordering her to seek the case’s dismissal.
The U.S. attorney, Danielle R. Sassoon, wrote that when she suggested that department officials await Mr. Blanche’s Senate confirmation so he could play a role in the decision, Mr. Bove informed her that Mr. Blanche was “on the same page,” and that “there was no need to wait.” The draft was written by Ms. Sassoon earlier this year, as she fought for the case’s survival.
The draft letter was among a cache of communications, including emails and texts, submitted under seal to a judge, Dale E. Ho, by Mr. Bove and Mr. Blanche, after his confirmation, to support their argument for dismissal of the corruption indictment against the mayor, Eric Adams. Judge Ho has yet to rule.
The filing reveals new information about the circumstances surrounding the explosive decision to halt the prosecution of Mr. Adams since it was first made by top officials in the Trump administration. The decision set off a political crisis in New York City, where the mayor immediately faced questions about his indebtedness to the Trump administration, which sought the dismissal in part so that Mr. Adams could aid its deportation agenda in New York City.
A Justice Department spokesman said in a statement that Mr. Blanche had no role in decisions at the agency before he was confirmed.
“Todd Blanche was not involved in the Department’s decision-making prior to his confirmation,” the statement said.
During the confirmation hearing, Mr. Blanche was questioned about the Justice Department’s decision making in seeking the dismissal of the Adams case.
When Senator Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, asked Mr. Blanche about whether the decisions in the case had been directed by officials in Washington, Mr. Blanche suggested that he had no direct knowledge.
“I have the same information you have,” he said. “It appears it was, yes, I don’t know.”
Reached for comment on Tuesday, Senator Welch said, “If this is true, it clearly indicates Blanche ‘misled’ — in plain English, lied — to the committee.”
It was not immediately clear when Ms. Sassoon drafted the letter. When it was originally filed, under seal, Mr. Bove wrote that Ms. Sassoon sent it to herself on Feb. 12. But the unsealed documents show that Ms. Sassoon sent herself an email that appeared to include the drafted letter as an attachment on Feb. 11 — the day before Mr. Blanche’s hearing.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Emma G. Fitzsimmons contributed reporting. Susan C. Beachy contributed research.