A New York congresswoman known for her left-leaning opposition to her Democratic colleagues is calling on New York City Mayor Eric Adams to resign following a series of searches of him and his top aides in connection with a federal investigation.
“I don't know how Mayor Adams can continue to govern New York City,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.
Ocasio-Cortez's district includes parts of two New York City boroughs, and the tweet was her first criticism of her local mayor in more than a year, indirectly criticizing him for his support of a new New York City police contract in April 2023.
“The proliferation of resignations and vacancies threatens the functioning of government,” she wrote. “Continual vetting will make it impossible to recruit and retain competent administrative staff.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (R-NY) speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Jacek Bocharski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Adams fired back vehemently, slamming the socialist congresswoman as a fraud.
“It is the height of hypocrisy for someone who self-righteously maintains that no one charged with a felony should go to jail to say that rumor and innuendo should force New York's second black mayor to resign when he has not been charged with a felony,” Adams said. “I am leading this city to protect it from that very kind of sham politics. The people of this city elected me to fight for them, and I intend to stay and fight no matter what.”
Earlier this month, New York City Police Commissioner Edward Cabán resigned in support of Adams, and members of Adams' staff were fired following accusations that they had worked with Cabán's twin brother to extort money from Brooklyn car owners.
In a statement, Cabán's lawyers, Russell Capone and Rebecca Donaleski, told Fox News Digital that the former chairman would cooperate with investigators and that he is not himself the subject of the federal investigation.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference on gun violence on June 26, 2023 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Rumours of his impending resignation had been swirling for days following a raid on Mr Cavan and his twin brother, a safety consultant, James Cavan, who is under investigation for allegedly using his ties to the NYPD to shield the nightclub from police scrutiny.
Federal agents have issued arrest warrants for three other of Adams' top officials. On the same day The panel includes Cavans, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Timothy Pearson, a former NYPD officer turned mayoral adviser.
Federal agents seized Adams' devices as he was leaving a Manhattan event last year and searched the home of one of his key fundraisers. Adams has denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged last month that he had received a subpoena from federal prosecutors and said he and his team were cooperating with the investigation.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, flanked, from left, by Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Ingrid Lewis Martin, speaks during his weekly press conference at City Hall. (Luis C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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“For the sake of the city, he should resign,” Ocasio-Cortez added Wednesday.
Another aide to Adams, Winnie Greco, was also searched in connection with the campaign fundraising investigation.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Edward Cavan attended a press conference at 1 Police Plaza in New York City on April 3. (Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid)
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Adams appointed Cabán to become the NYPD's first Hispanic chief in July 2023.
He was replaced by interim director Tom Donlon, a former FBI agent who previously led the National Threat Center and oversaw terrorism watch lists.
Fox News' Michael Dorgan and CB Cotton contributed to this report.
