Three federal prosecutors, Celia V. Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom, resigned while on administrative leave instead of conceding to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) demands. They faced pressure to express regret and admit wrongdoing related to their handling of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case. In a firm letter, they refused to confess to any misconduct, highlighting their commitment to justice and the Constitution. This incident further emphasizes ongoing tensions between the Southern District of New York and the federal government's directives.
The Department placed each of us on administrative leave ostensibly to review our, and the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office's handling of the Adams case. It is now clear that one of the preconditions you have placed on our returning to the Office is that we must express regret and admit some wrongdoing by the Office in connection with the refusal to move to dismiss the case. We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none.
We have served under Presidents of both parties, advancing their priorities while pursuing justice without fear or favor. The role of a career prosecutor is not to set policy. But a prosecutor must abide by the oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States and the rules of professional ethics set by the bar and the courts. Now, the Department has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington. That is wrong.
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