Justice Department official who resigned in Adams case joins law firm

By Sara Merken

May 20 (Reuters) - John Keller, a former senior U.S. Justice Department lawyer who resigned in February amid a clash over the prosecution of New York City's mayor, has joined law firm Walden Macht Haran & Williams, the firm said on Tuesday.

Keller was the acting head of the DOJ's public corruption unit before he and other officials resigned rather than comply with an order to dismiss corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams.

Keller, who was a federal prosecutor for 15 years, is launching New York-based Walden Macht Haran & Williams' expansion into Washington, D.C., the firm said.

Jim Walden, a founding partner of the firm, is running for New York City mayor as an independent candidate against Adams, Andrew Cuomo and other candidates.

Keller did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, he said joining the firm "provides an unmatched opportunity to fight for clients to ensure fair treatment under the law."

The Justice Department in February ordered the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan to drop its case against Adams, who pleaded not guilty to charges he accepted bribes from Turkish officials.

Then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said in a memo that the charges, brought during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration, could interfere with Adams' re-election campaign and were distracting him from helping Trump crack down on illegal immigration.

Former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and Keller were among six senior DOJ officials who resigned on February 13 rather than carry out Bove's order, in what was seen as an early sign of resistance to Trump's efforts to overhaul the agency.

A U.S. judge had later dismissed the corruption charges against Adams in April.

The Walden Macht firm said in a statement that Keller had shown "unwavering commitment to the rule of law in a highly charged environment" in the Adams prosecution and other cases. The firm's work includes white-collar defense, investigations and commercial disputes, according to its website.