If Eric Adams, who has been federally indicted, resigns, New York City's next acting mayor will likely be public advocate Jumaane Williams, a left-leaning Democrat who has often been critical of the police and once ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor.
Williams is a self-described activist politician who began his term as a public interest activist in 2019 and has served in elected office since first serving as a city council member in 2010.
The 48-year-old Brooklyn native, who lives on an Army base, has championed numerous liberal causes during his nearly 15-year career as a public servant.
Recently, he sponsored a City Council bill that would require police officers to fill out detailed paperwork for everyday occurrences like giving directions to tourists or questioning witnesses while helping a sick train passenger.
Amid the city's tense Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Williams stoked anti-police sentiment and accused then-Mayor Bill de Blasio of shielding mixed-race families.
He also advocated for the abolition of solitary confinement in the city's jails, over the objections of corrections officers working at the facilities.
Williams sparked controversy in 2021 when it emerged he was living on a U.S. military base with 24-hour security despite pushing to cut the NYPD budget.
He also came under fire last year for allowing staff to work from home after coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted.
He defended the move, saying the office has a hybrid work schedule.
Two moderate Democrats introduced legislation to abolish the public assistance offices, arguing they are a waste of taxpayer money, but the proposal went nowhere.
Despite having Tourette's syndrome and ADHD, Williams earned a master's degree from Brooklyn College, according to his advocacy group's website.
Williams ran in the Democratic primaries for governor in 2022 and lieutenant governor in 2018, but lost both elections.
He was re-elected public defender in 2021 with about 76% of the vote.
The Public Assistance Agency was established in 1993 and is considered the government's watchdog to assist residents with municipal complaints and queries.
Williams will succeed Adams and serve in the role on an interim basis until a special election is held 80 days after the transition of power.
Mayor Adams was indicted by a grand jury on charges related to the federal investigation Wednesday night, sources told The Washington Post. Mayor Hizzoner, in his historic indictment as the first sitting mayor to be charged, claimed he was being persecuted by the federal government for speaking out about the city's immigration crisis.
“I always knew that standing up for the people of New York would make me a target — and I became one,” Adams said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“If charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with all my might and all my heart.”
In a video statement released afterward, Adams said he had no plans to resign and vowed to “fight these injustices with all my might and all my heart.” “When the federal government's flawed immigration policies provided no relief for our shelter system and did nothing, I put the people of New York above party and politics.”
A representative for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment.
