Mayor Eric Adams indicted, refuses to resign as FBI tears through City Hall
Mayor Eric Adams became the first sitting New York City mayor to be indicted on federal criminal charges this week, said multiple outlets, prompting a deluge of calls for him to resign. Adams has refused.
After months of speculation, more than a dozen Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raids and resignations have rattled the Adams administration and other city agencies.
New York City Department of Education (DOE) Schools Chancellor David Banks – Adams’ right-hand man and longtime friend – tendered his resignation and set his retirement for the end of the year. Banks announced this a day before the news of Adams’ indictment made headlines late Wednesday night.
The FBI probe, as many are in their beginning stages, offers little insight into an ultimate target, however, multiple subpoenas suggest that the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources and funnel them through straw donors leading to the mayoral election in 2021. Details of the indictment were sealed when the news broke.
Should Adams be forced to resign, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is next in line to be mayor.
“The news of this indictment is itself incredibly serious,” a spokesperson for Williams said Wednesday night in the wake of the indictments. “As the facts emerge, the Public Advocate will have more to say to the people of New York City, and right now, he is focused on how best to ensure that New Yorkers can regain trust, confidence, and stability in city government.”
Meanwhile, a growing chorus of political groups, competitive mayoral candidates, and elected officials have called for Adams to resign from office, including Sens. Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, and John Liu; Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC); Councilmembers Tiffany Cabán, Lincoln Restler, and Bob Holden; former City Comptroller Scott Stringer and current Comptroller Brad Lander; and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal.
“I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City. The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “For the good of the city, he should resign.”
Cabán has been posting a video series on Instagram explaining why Adams should resign.
“This is a sad day for the city, and especially painful for so many Black New Yorkers who put our hope and faith in this mayor,” Myrie said. “We live in the greatest city in the world — and the mayor must be fully focused on delivering for the millions who call it home. Many like my parents come here in search of opportunity; others like myself are born and raised by this vibrant city.
“Each New Yorker deserves a mayor who is dedicated to serving our communities, and who upholds the dignity and integrity this office requires,” he continued. “We need a leader who is fully focused, without distraction, on the enormous challenges we face — from housing affordability to public safety. A mayor under the weight of a serious indictment can no longer do that — and today I am calling on him to resign.”
A coalition of groups, like Make the Road New York, New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Justice Committee, VOCAL-NY, CPR Action, and New Yorkers Defending Democracy, had dubbed themselves ‘No Power Grab NYC.’ Their goal is to push back on Adams’s proposed changes to the city’s constitution, which the city council and progressives have slammed as a blatant “power grab” by the mayor.
“Every chance he gets, Eric Adams puts what’s good for him over what’s good for New Yorkers,” said No Power Grab NYC spokesperson Joo-Hyun Kang. “His administration has been defined by mismanagement and corruption, and New Yorkers can’t trust him. We need to unite to end his relentless power grab and vote no on Props 2-6 on the November ballot. While attention will be focused on the news of the day, no matter what happens to the mayor, the November ballot will remain –– and the consequences could last generations. We need to ensure that his sneaky move to change the city’s constitution is soundly rejected and vote no.”
Stringer said in a statement that “there is simply zero chance that the wheels of government will move forward from this full steam ahead” and called for Adams’ resignation “for the good of the city.”
“His legal fight is not our fight,” Stringer said. “While the mayor focuses on proving his innocence, the rest of us need to focus on the business of the city –– building affordable housing, educating our kids, and keeping this city safe.”
A smaller camp of people, including Adams’ predecessor, Mayor Bill de Blasio, are taking a wait-and-see approach to the nature of the indictment and the official charges before passing judgment on the mayor.
“I do think we have to be really careful here. We haven’t seen anything specific, we don’t know what this is yet, we haven’t heard a defense,” said de Blasio, who had his own legal troubles while in office, during an interview with CNN on Wednesday night. “If he truly believes he’s innocent, he has a right to stand up and say that and keep his job. But he does owe it to New Yorkers to explain how he’s going to navigate that reality and provide the leadership we need.”
In a video statement on Wednesday –– not posted to his official mayoral social media account –– Adams stood firm on his refusal to step down and maintained “innocence” while slamming the coming criminal charges as “entirely false and based on lies.” He vowed to not resign and continue governing the city.
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became,” Adams said. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
By Thursday morning, Sept. 26, the FBI had raided Gracie Mansion and Adams’ official residence.
Sarah Steiner, an election law practitioner in New York state confirmed that Adams can still run in next year’s election despite the indictment since he hasn’t been convicted.
“There’s no obligation for him to resign. He is indicted, he’s not convicted and entitled to a trial,” said Steiner.
AmNews reached out to the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan but did not get a response back by post time.
NOTE: Story is ongoing and will likely be updated as information is made available.
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