A high-profile act of resistance by Ruth Neuwald Falcon

On the same day that a man with a worm-eaten brain was confirmed by members of what has been called “the greatest deliberative body in the world” (though some would disagree) and all the Republican House members passed what Jess Craven calls a “brutal budget and tax cut plan,” Danielle Sassoon, interim head of the Manhattan US Attorney’s office and a registered Republican who clerked for Antonin Scalia, heroically refused to carry out the corrupt orders of the new attorney general, who yesterday boasted that this is “a new Department of Justice.” At least five officials with the federal public integrity unit of the DOJ also refused to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams and resigned. By tonight, it’s up to seven.

In her letter to Bondi, Sassoon argued that dismissal of the charges “amounted to a quid pro quo” of dismissal in exchange for cooperating with Trump’s lawless immigration raids. Sassoon wrote:

I attended a meeting on January 31, 2025, with (acting deputy attorney general) Mr. Bove , Adams’s counsel, and members of my office. Adams’s attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo, indicating that Adams would be in a position to assist with the Department’s enforcement priorities only if the indictment were dismissed. Mr. Bove admonished a member of my team who took notes during that meeting and directed the collection of those notes at the meeting’s conclusion.

In his newsletter today, Robert Hubbell gives an excellent explanation of what happened as of Thursday evening (like everything else, it’s an ongoing story) and what’s involved. He concludes with these words:

Danielle Sassoon has opened a new front in the resistance against Trump. She follows others who have resigned rather than carry out illegal orders by Trump and Musk, but her stand is the highest-profile act of resistance to date—and one that may have given others in the DOJ the courage to follow her example.

Her stand is the perfect example of why we must use every tool available to resist Trump. We will never know which spark will catch fire and inspire others to join the resistance. But if we create enough sparks, the odds increase that one will be the tipping point to unleash the flood. (Apologies for the mixed metaphors!)

The power of one voice is all it takes to start a wave of resistance. That voice could be yours. Take heart from the events of Thursday and use your voice to urge others to resist and act.