The current crisis at the Justice Department over the corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York stems partly from the particulars of the law and a recent decree from Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In recent days, the acting deputy attorney general, Emil Bove III, has demanded that career lawyers submit a court filing in New York requesting to dismiss the case against Mr. Adams.

The interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a career prosecutor named Danielle R. Sassoon who had been recently elevated by the Trump administration, refused, saying she could not do something that was contrary to the facts and the law, and that was motivated by political reasons unrelated to the case. She resigned.

Mr. Bove could have then made the same demand of other prosecutors in Ms. Sassoon’s office; instead, he redirected his efforts to career staff members at Justice Department headquarters.

There, too, people stepped down rather than carry out what they viewed as a deeply improper order. By late Thursday, five prosecutors in Washington had resigned.

As a Justice Department official, Mr. Bove could simply sign the document himself. While it would be highly unusual for someone at his level to take such a role in a criminal case, there is nothing that expressly bars him from doing so.

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