Democratic Mayor Eric Adams is “keeping options open” about switching to the GOP after President Trump’s Department of Justice moved to drop his bribery case, one of his close pals told The Post Tuesday.

Supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis — who broke the DOJ’s decision to Hizzoner while they dined at Gallaghers Steakhouse– said Adams is looking toward his political future after his ordeal, with an eye toward staying mayor of New York City.

“He’s definitely thinking … keeping options open,” Catsimatidis told The Post when asked if Adams, a former Republican, might switch back to the GOP.

“He has to make decisions now that he’s a free man,” he said. “He wants to win.”

City Hall and reps for Adams’ campaign didn’t comment on Catsimatidis’ statements. 

But Adams basked in the good news from the DOJ over dinner Monday evening, Catsimatidis said.

“He looked like 1,000 pounds came off his shoulders,” he said.

The relief may only be temporary as the DOJ’s letter instructing Manhattan federal prosecutors to drop Adams’ corruption case pointedly noted the move wasn’t based on the evidence, and left the possibility open that it could be taken up again after the November mayoral election. 

Adams’ chances of making it to November, at least as a Democrat, could well be in jeopardy.

Poll after poll has shown Adams trailing other candidates in the crowded Democratic primary, notably former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has not yet even officially announced he is running.

New York City Republicans have yet to coalesce around a candidate, but there are signs a familiar face could enter the race: Curtis Sliwa.

The Staten Island GOP on Tuesday endorsed Sliwa, the flamboyant red-bereted founder of the Guardian Angels who ran against Adams in the 2021 mayoral race.

“New Yorkers have suffered under one party Democrat rule with high crime, high taxes and deteriorated quality of life, all while our mayor prioritizes housing foreign gang members and illegal immigrants in luxury hotel rooms at our expense,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island), in a statement.

“We can still reverse course, restore public safety and govern by common sense by electing Curtis Sliwa to lead our city.”

Adams trounced Sliwa in the 2021 election, garnering 67% of the vote to the Republican’s 28% in the heavily Democratic Big Apple.

No Republican has won the mayoralty in New York City since Michael Bloomberg, who later shifted his allegiance to the Democrats.

The prospect that Adams could avoid a high-profile corruption trial weeks before the June primary only arose after the mayor conspicuously cozied up to Trump.

And one of Adams’ challengers in the Democratic primary – state Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) – has argued the temporary dismissal would keep Adams “under the thumb and control of Donald Trump until November.”

“Today Eric Adams no longer works for New Yorkers. He works for Donald Trump: period,” Myrie said.

Myrie sent a letter to Southern District of New York Judge Dale Ho, who is presiding over Adams’ case, urging him to reject the dismissal and appoint a special prosecutor.

He argued the plan to dismiss without prejudice – meaning the case can be taken up again – showed Trump’s DOJ was less concerned about righting a potential miscarriage of justice than creating leverage over Adams.

“The direction to dismiss without prejudice is not a reprieve for Mr. Adams, it is a gun to the head of the legitimate democratic governance of the City of New York,” Myrie wrote.
“The DOJ’s message is clear: assent to President Donald Trump or face renewed criminal charges.”

Democratic leaders largely stayed silent on Adams’ change in fortunes. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) simply said New York City voters will soon decide who’s best to lead the city.

His brother Hasan Kwame Jeffries, an Ohio State University history professor, had a much stronger reaction.

“What was the price you paid for your corruption charges to be dropped?” he wrote on X. “A pledge of loyalty to the wannabe emperor? A promise to give up Black and Brown immigrants? You lowdown, corrupt, bootlicking, ass kissing bastard.”

DOJ officials plan to move to dismiss Adams’ corruption case, at least temporarily — a prospect that arose after months of the mayor cozying up to Trump.

The letter announcing the move contended that Adams’ charges could be politically motivated because of his past criticism of the Biden administration’s actions on the US-Mexico border and the ensuing migrant crisis.

It also argued that the prosecution restricted Adams’ ability to help with Trump’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration — a key priority for the new president.

The Southern District of New York investigation against Adams began in 2021, before he spoke up on the border crisis, sources have said.

– Additional reporting by Carl Campanile