Senior Justice Department officials under President Trump have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping their corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York, according to five people with knowledge of the matter.

The officials have also spoken to Mr. Adams’s defense team since Mr. Trump took office, the people said. The defense team is led by Alex Spiro, who is also the personal lawyer for Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and one of the president’s closest advisers.

Mr. Trump has the power to pardon Mr. Adams, who as New York City’s mayor could aid his plans for mass deportations. In December, Mr. Trump said that the mayor had been treated “pretty unfairly” by prosecutors and suggested he was considering issuing a pardon.

But if prosecutors were to dismiss the case entirely, it could allow Mr. Adams to insist on his innocence to voters as he seeks another term as mayor, while allowing Mr. Trump to avoid the appearance of a pardon that many might view as unwarranted.

In pushing for the case to be dropped, Mr. Spiro has observed to department officials that Mr. Trump has criticized it, two of the people with knowledge said. The defense lawyer has also suggested that the mayor would not be inclined to cooperate with the president’s immigration crackdown if he remained under indictment, the people said.

Department officials in Washington are expected to meet with Manhattan prosecutors and, separately, with Mr. Adams’s team, as soon as this week.