Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams is fighting for his political life as he finds himself in the middle of a legal firestorm, raising questions about how much longer he can hold on to power.
Adams was indicted last week by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office in a wide-ranging federal corruption probe, the culmination of a growing scandal that had engulfed City Hall over the past couple of months and had been brewing under the surface for years.
It was a stunning fall from grace for a man once seen as a rising star in Democratic politics, and while Adams has signaled he isn’t going anywhere, some of his opponents are confident he will feel pressure to step down.
“Eric Adams has always been a Republican in Democratic clothing, so is anyone really surprised by the corruption allegations?” said one Democratic operative who works for a New York member of Congress. “While his Republican friends might try to prop him up, it’s clear he’s losing the trust of the city.”
“At this point,” the strategist predicted, “it’s only a matter of time before he’s forced to resign.”
Adams’s legal team has already started mounting a defense that seeks to question the prosecution, who said Wednesday that he may encounter even more criminal charges as the investigation continues. There’s also a possibility that it could drag new people into legal jeopardy.
Several of Adams’s close confidants resigned just before news became public about the indictment, which described how an aide to the mayor also deleted communications during the probe with the FBI.
Prosecutor Hagan Scotten said it’s “possible” that the person who in 2021 was elected to be the city’s 110th mayor could see more action against him.
Adams was indicted on alleged criminal conduct that involved soliciting illegal campaign contributions from a foreign entity, among other corruption charges. Prosecutors have homed in on his involvement with Turkish officials, according to the indictment, whom he dealt with while running for office and in power.
The mayor’s defense lawyer, Alex Spiro, sought to have prosecutors dismiss part of the charges this week, claiming leaks had sullied the investigation. He also expressed a desire for a speedy process.
“We do not want this case dragging out,” Spiro said.
Democrats who had previously worked to elevate Adams are now watching the spectacle play out just weeks before the presidential election. The mayor rose to power with the Biden administration’s blessing, and while the two have reportedly sparred over the past several years, he has largely enjoyed the public support of national Democrats.
That alliance appears to be fading as members on Capitol Hill and political strategists seek clarity over the extent of Adams’ role in the criminal allegations. House Democrats are divided, with Speaker Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) putting out an apparent defense of Adams and others in the Democratic caucus calling for him to step down.
“Like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Jeffries said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has also refrained from pushing Adams out and has maintained a good relationship in public. But behind the scenes, Hochul reportedly had a “private” call, according to CNN, where she asked Adams to get his internal affairs in order.
Progressives, meanwhile, are loudly voicing their concerns. New York Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) and Jerry Nadler (D) have been at the forefront of calling for Adams to exit Gracie Mansion, the government residence that was raided by the FBI.
Angelo Greco, a national progressive organizer in touch with New York Democrats, suggested Adams has been keeping a low profile as developments continue to unfold. He was missing at an awards banquet celebrating social and racial justice advocacy at Lincoln Center, the latest sign that he’s trying to stay out of the fray.
“I was at the Triumph awards last night, and it was notable he didn’t show,” Greco said.
In a nod to the situation, the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader and icon among Black Democrats, later passed around information on social media spotlighting Adams’s absence.
Democrats who are cheering Adams’s downfall say the mayor has caused resentment among constituencies he heavily courted, including some Black communities, and has also pandered to the GOP. His legal woes, some say, are not entirely surprising.
Other Democrats — including some who are deeply critical of Adams — are nonetheless more bullish about his longevity. They say nothing seems to phase the city’s top executive and that he’s capable of weathering the storm even as new developments emerge.
“Adams has the amazing power to absorb these kinds of headlines because he just ignores his overall popularity,” another New York-based Democratic commentator said.
“I don’t think he’s reelectable, but if you don’t care about that, it kind of saps the media of its ability to make you feel shame for what you do,” the source said.
Polling shows Adams underwater politically. In an April survey taken by the Manhattan Institute, just 16 percent of New York voters polled said they’d back the mayor’s reeelection campaign in June.
Despite that significant lack of support, Democrats’ path forward beyond Adams, if he resigns before next summer’s mayoral primary, is also not so clean cut and could trickle down to other Manhattan officials.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the city official who is next to succeed Adams, Jumaane Williams, also received funding from an individual who is included in the Adams investigation. Williams, who currently serves as New York City public advocate, was given $5,000 from a person who also coordinated donations for Adams, according to the Journal’s report.
The next-in-line question is adding complications to the saga, which is being speculated about going as far as the Supreme Court.
With a lot of big questions unanswered, Democrats are bracing for more potential fallout. Some particularly opposed to Adams are starting to compare him to former President Trump, whose own improprieties have played out for decades in the city and its surrounding boroughs.
The comparison, which paints Adams in an especially negative light, comes as Democrats seek to distance themselves from Trump in the strongest sense just one month until Election Day.
“Adams and Trump have more in common than people think,” the operative who works for a New York congressman said. “New York deserves leadership with integrity, not more Trump-style corruption and chaos.”