The one thing people outside of New York know is that mayorship of NYC is historically a hotbed of corruption. It’s one of the most powerful elected positions in the country, and it attracts people who love to exploit that power. Even for an elected office soaked in corruption, Mayor Eric Adams was uniquely corrupt and uniquely unhinged. For weeks now, the people around Mayor Adams have been getting arrested, or seeing their homes and offices raided by federal authorities. The walls were closing in and everyone knew that it was just a matter of time. Time’s up – Mayor Adams was indicted last night on federal charges. The indictment is sealed, so no one knows exactly what happened, but basically everyone in New York is like “sounds right.”
Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal criminal charges, according to people with knowledge of the matter, and will be the first mayor in modern New York City history to be charged while in office. The indictment is sealed, and it was unclear what charge or charges Mr. Adams, a Democrat, will face or when he will surrender to the authorities. Federal prosecutors were expected to announce the details of the indictment on Thursday.
The mayor, in a videotaped speech posted online late Wednesday, adopted a combative tone, saying any charges against him would be “entirely false” and “based on lies.” He said he had been targeted by the federal authorities because he had “stood my ground” for New Yorkers.
Mr. Adams, 64, also made it clear he had no intention of resigning, which he is not required to do under the City Charter. He said he would request an “immediate” trial and would “fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength, and my spirit.”
The indictment comes a little less than a year after federal agents searched the home of Mr. Adams’s chief fund-raiser and seized the mayor’s electronic devices as he left a public event in Manhattan. The mayor and his aides have said he was cooperating with the authorities, and Mr. Adams has continued to insist that he has done nothing wrong.
Mr. Adams, a retired police captain, was elected New York’s 110th mayor in 2021 after a campaign built on a pledge to reduce crime, bring professionalism to City Hall and tap his personal brand of “swagger.” But he staffed top positions with friends and loyalists, and his inner circle became engulfed by federal investigations. This month, federal agents seized phones from numerous top city officials, including a top aide to Mr. Adams, the schools chancellor and the police commissioner. The commissioner, Edward A. Caban, and the schools chancellor, David C. Banks, later resigned.
He already announced that he was running for reelection next year, and the Times points out that this indictment will make the Democratic primary a bit spicier. Adams is also widely regarded as a DINO (Democrat In Name Only) and a Republican in sheep’s clothing, so it’s not like Democrats feel any particular party loyalty to Adams. Apparently – I did not know this – New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office, which she might need to do since he has zero plans to resign. If Adams does resign, the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, becomes the acting mayor.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.