Embattled New York Mayor Eric Adams is facing mounting calls to resign by local politicians after he was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday night amid a federal investigation into his mayoral campaign and administration.
Several top members of Adams’ campaign have already resigned amid the City Hall chaos following a number of federal raids at officials’ homes earlier this month, sparking concerns of Adams’ ability to lead the Big Apple moving forward as he deals with legal troubles.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said Wednesday was “a sad day for New Yorkers,” after news of the indictment broke, and that “the most appropriate path forward” is for Adams to step aside.
“Mayor Adams, like all New Yorkers, deserves due process, the presumption of innocence, and his day in court. However, it is clear that defending himself against serious federal charges will require a significant amount of the time and attention needed to govern this great city,” he added.
Lander, who plans to run against Adams in 2025, was one of at least 22 politicians at the city, state and federal levels that have called on Adams to resign as of Wednesday night — most of whom are fellow Democrats.
Former city comptroller, Manhattan borough president and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer said the mayor should step down so other leaders can “focus on the business of the city.”
“His fight is not our fight,” Stringer said.
Several members of the City Council have demanded he resign, including Tiffany Caban (D-Queens), Alexa Aviles (D-Brooklyn), Shekar Krishnan (D-Queens), Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), Chris Banks (D-Brooklyn) and Bob Holden (D-Queens).
“There is no way [Adams] can effectively lead with this cloud hanging over him. With the challenges our city faces, he must step down for the good of New Yorkers,” Holden, a moderate, said.
Councilman Oswald Feliz (D-Bronx), however, told The Post he’s “not there yet” in regards to calling on the mayor to step down.
Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) declined to comment on the Indictment but said will run for office if the mayor steps down.
New York State Assembly members Phara Souffrant Forrest (D-Brooklyn), Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn), Danny O’Connel (D-Manhattan), Jessica González-Rojas (D-Queens), Tony Simone (D-Manhattan), Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens) have also called for Adams’ ouster.
“Eric Adams must resign. Even before this indictment, he has completely failed to address the crushing cost of living crisis that is driving working families out of our city. In fact, he has only made it worse,” Mamdani said.
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State Senators Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn), Gustavo Rivera (D-Brooklyn), Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn) Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn), Brad Holyman-Sigel (D-Manhattan) John Liu (D-Queens) also joined the chorus calling for the mayor to leave office.
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) became the highest ranking Democrat to call for Adams to resign “for the good of the city” hours before it was revealed he had been indicted.
Adams is the first sitting mayor of New York City to be indicted.
He’s requested “an immediate trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth,” he told The Post.
Adams said he became a target of federal authorities for standing up for New Yorkers and vowed to “fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”