New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud and accepting political contributions from foreign officials. Adams pleaded not guilty and was released, but he is not allowed to contact any witnesses or discuss anything in relation to the allegations with his staff or relatives. Amid the indictment, Mayor Adams should not continue to be the acting mayor of NYC.
The indictment alleges that Adams received gifts from foreign businessmen and at least one government official from Turkey. Some gifts listed in the indictment were cheap flights, upgrades in hotels, high-end restaurants and luxurious trips.
The federal prosecutors also accused Adams’ of using straw donations to receive extra money for his campaign. NYC utilizes a campaign matching funds program that matches small donors with up to eight times the amount they donated with public funding. The campaign applied for the program based on known donations and, as a result, received more than $10 million in public funds.
The investigation into Adams began during the summer of 2021. According to CBS, the prosecution’s evidence includes texts, emails, bank records, telephone records, government records and even witnesses who participated in the crimes.
In return, Adams put pressure on the New York City Fire Department to help open Turkey’s consular building despite it not passing a fire inspection. An FDNY official was told that he would lose his job if the building would not open.
Adams is now indicted on a total of five charges, with the most serious one carrying 20 years if he is found guilty.
In case Mayor Adams steps down, the next in line of succession would be Jumaane Williams, a former City Council Member. At the moment, it is not clear if Adams will be stepping down from his role or if he will be removed from office.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from power. A governor’s power to remove a mayor hasn’t been exercised in decades. Whether Adams is removed from office or decides to step down, it is clear that he should not remain in office.
Adams was already previously criticized for cutting funding to public libraries, increasing the number of police officers in the subways and enhancing bag checks at subway stations.
According to polls, about 70% of New Yorkers believe Adams should resign from office. Only about 26% of participants expressed a positive opinion of the mayor. It is clear that it would be best for New York City if Adams stepped down from his post.
Additionally, in light of the recent indictment, six senior members stepped down from the administration with additional investigations being started. The prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, also said that it is possible additional defendants will be charged as part of the indictment.
