On Wednesday, Sept. 25, news broke that Eric Adams, New York City’s 110th mayor, had been indicted by the federal government. The following morning, on Thursday Sept. 26, the 57 page indictment was unsealed, and stated that Mayor Adams was being charged with five counts of federal corruption. This makes Adams the first ever sitting mayor of the city to be indicted. Let’s take a step back and understand Adams’ reputation, what these charges are for, and some politicians’ reactions to the federal charges.
Adams’ Time as Mayor
Eric Adams was first elected into office in 2021, after running a campaign financed by landlords, the corporate real estate lobby, the hedge fund industry, and corporate billionaires. A former police officer, Adams has had the lowest approval rate of any New York City mayor since 1996. The bulk of his unpopularity came in 2023, after a series of budget cuts, gutting the city’s Education Department by $1 billion and rendering branches of the New York Public Library (NYPL) only able to operate six days a week. Though Adams has since restored $500 million back into educational programs as of April of this year (only half of what it was originally cut by), the NYPL has still not seen any extra funding, facing a deficit of $58 million.
Under his administration, the New York Police Department (NYPD) saw a consistent budget of $11 billion, costing taxpayers $29 million a day. This number doesn’t include the $100 million given to the NYPD for overtime. When the department’s Strategic Response Group is sued for attacking peaceful protesters, taxpayers’ money is also going towards millions of dollars yearly in payouts for officers’ gross misconduct. Not to mention, the cost of living has also risen, with massive budget cuts to the city’s Department of Homeless Services, Department of Social Services, hospitals, and the Fire Department. Poor administrative decisions aside, Adams has also been accused of sexual assault and faced criticism for attending celebrity parties and events while homeless encampents were being swept by the NYPD.
Details on the Indictment
Getting into the federal charges, let’s first define indictment. It sounds like a big fancy word, but it simply means to be formally charged with a serious crime, the serious crimes here being one count of bribery, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, soliciting foreign contribution, and accepting bribes, as well as two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. These charges center on Adams’ mayoral campaigns, claiming that he knowingly accepted over $100,000 in illegal donations and favors from the Turkish government. These accusations go as far back as 2014, when Adams was President of the Brooklyn Borough.
Specifically, Adams is being accused of receiving luxury plane tickets among other travel benefits from the Turkish government, and in return, compelled the city’s Fire Department to open a Turkish consulate building without conducting a fire safety inspection. For reference, a consulate is a diplomatic office that represents a country’s interest in a foreign city.
Federal investigators exercised a search warrant the morning of Sept. 26 at the official residence for New York City’s mayor, called Gracie Mansion. At his first court appearance, on Friday Sept. 27, Adams pleaded not guilty to all five charges brought against him. The cell phones of his chief advisor, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, were also seized, and she was subpoenaed by a grand jury, meaning she is being legally compelled to offer testimony involving the indictment.
Politicians’ Responses and Potential Consequences
Prominent New York City politicians Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-12) have called for Mayor Adams’ resignation, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer has said the “charges are serious.” In response to what she would do if she was the one being indicted, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-7) commented, “I would have resigned today.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the legal power to remove Mayor Adams from office, though it has been reported that she is not currently considering that as an option. If Adams does resign or is removed, either by Governor Hochul or through an inability committee, Jumaane Williams, the city’s public advocate and fierce critic of Adams, would then become acting mayor. The indictment also throws a wrench in Adams’ re-election campaign. Already having won by a slim margin in the 2021 Democratic Mayoral Primary, Adams is currently up against four other Democratic nominees for the 2025 Mayoral Election.
Closing Thoughts
Indicted or not, New Yorkers have been beyond dissatisfied with Mayor Adams for years for putting his personal interests over the needs of New York’s most vulnerable. Using the NYPD to repress black and brown communities, militarizing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), violently cracking down on pro-Palestine protesters, scapegoating migrants, and hiking up rent has decimated his reputation, especially in the eyes of young voters. As we follow this case closely, we hope that the courts are able to uphold justice with their verdict.