New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges but the details of the charges are still sealed. Despite the indictment, Adams has vowed to continue serving as mayor and fight the charges with all his strength and spirit. This indictment marks a stunning turn for Adams, who was elected as the city’s second Black mayor on a platform of reducing crime. Adams is facing growing legal trouble with multiple federal investigations into his administration and has seen high-level departures from his team in recent weeks.
While Adams continues to deny any wrongdoing, calls for his resignation have been made by his Democratic challengers, including City Comptroller Brad Lander and Senator Zellnor Myrie. If Adams were to resign, he would be replaced by the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who would then schedule a special election. Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office, but her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The investigations into Adams’ administration have produced a series of subpoenas, searches, and resignations of top city officials, including the police commissioner and schools chancellor. The federal investigations are said to involve senior aides, relatives of those aides, campaign fundraising, and possible influence peddling within the police and fire departments. Adams, who spent 22 years in the police department before entering politics, has faced declining popularity as he grapples with the challenges of his mayoral tenure.
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