NEW YORK (AP) — On Tuesday, a former assistant to soon-to-be-former New York Mayor Eric Adams received a sentence of three years’ probation, including one year of home confinement, for illicitly seeking campaign donations for Adams.

In delivering the sentence to Mohamed Bahi, who served as a liaison to the city’s Muslim communities, the federal judge also highlighted the “elephant in the room” — the extraordinary dismissal of corruption charges against Adams himself, facilitated by the Trump administration.

Judge Dale E. Ho, who had overseen the now-dismissed case against Adams, remarked, “There’s a conspicuous absence of the individual at the top of the hierarchy.” He continued, suggesting that Bahi was left to bear the consequences alone, stating, “It’s difficult to avoid the sense that Mr. Bahi, as his legal team noted, is left holding the bag.”

Bahi, aged 41, admitted to his role in soliciting unlawful contributions from workers at a Brooklyn construction firm during a December 2020 fundraiser for Adams’ initial mayoral bid.

This case emerged from a broad corruption inquiry into Adams and his campaign, which culminated in Adams being charged with bribery and campaign finance violations in September 2024. However, earlier this year, the Justice Department requested the dismissal of Adams’ case, claiming it was interfering with his assistance in President Donald Trump’s immigration initiatives.

The extraordinary development prompted protests and resignations from several top prosecutors, including the interim U.S. attorney in Manhattan, who accused Adams of striking a quid pro quo deal with Trump.

Adams has denied wrongdoing, insisting that the charges were political payback for his criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policy. He ran for re-election this year as an independent, but ended his campaign early.

In the months since the dismissal, prosecutors have continued their cases against those charged in schemes linked to the mayor’s 2021 campaign, including a Brooklyn construction magnate who worked with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal donations to Adams.

An attorney for Bahi, Derek Adams, addressed those unusual circumstances Tuesday, accusing federal prosecutors of sparing “those in positions of power.”

“The sentiment of the public,” he added, was that his client was left “holding the bag” while Adams got off.

When Ho asked the government how he should weigh the fact that Adams was not facing charges, the prosecutor, Robert Sobelman, demurred, saying he could only discuss the case against Bahi.

For his part, Bahi told the judge he had accepted “full responsibility for my actions” and was focused on rebuilding trust. “The integrity of elections is one of the most sacred rights we have, and I violated that,” he said through tears.

Bahi previously said he was “instructed” by another Adams volunteer to set up the straw donation scheme, which allowed the campaign to collect larger contributions through the city’s generous matching funds program.

Prosecutors also said Bahi deleted Signal, an encrypted messaging app, from his phone after learning that federal agents were outside his home. They had urged the judge to sentence him to one year in prison.

Bahi embraced his dozens of supporters in the courtroom after learning that he would avoid prison time. His confinement will allow him to leave home for work and to attend religious services, among other reasons.

“I’m feeling content that this whole ordeal is over,” he told reporters as he left the courtroom. “Spending time with my family for a year is probably the best thing I can do.”