Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing growing calls from local politicians to resign after he was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday night amid an ongoing federal investigation into his mayoral campaign and administration.
Several key members of Adams' campaign have already resigned amid turmoil at City Hall following multiple federal searches of city staff homes earlier this month, raising concerns about Adams' ability to lead New York in the future amid legal troubles.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said after news of the indictment broke that Wednesday was a “sad day for New Yorkers” and that the “most appropriate course of action” was for Adams to resign.
“Mayor Adams, like every New Yorker, is entitled to due process, a presumption of innocence and a trial in court, but it is clear that defending himself against serious federal charges would require a significant amount of the time and attention required to govern this great city,” he added.
Lander, who plans to run against Adams in 2025, is one of at least two dozen politicians at the city, state and federal levels, most of them Democrats, who have called on Adams to resign as of Wednesday night.
Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller, Manhattan borough president and mayoral candidate, 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 City Council members have called for his resignation, including Reps. Tiffany Cabán (D-Queens), Alexa Aviles (D-Brooklyn), Shekhar Krishnan (D-Queens), Lincoln Ressler (D-Brooklyn), Chris Banks (D-Brooklyn) and Bob Holden (D-Queens).
Eric Adams Indicted: Updates after New York City Mayor is Indicted
“There is no such way [Adams] “He cannot lead effectively with such a dark cloud hanging over him. Given the challenges facing our city, he should do the people of New York a favor and resign,” Holden, a moderate, said.
But City Councilman Oswald Ferris (D-Bronx) told The Washington Post that he was “not there yet” when it came to calling for the mayor to resign.
City Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) declined to comment on the indictment but said he would run for office if the mayor resigns.
New York State Assemblymembers Farah Souffran Forrest (D-Brooklyn), Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn), Danny O'Connell (D-Manhattan), Jessica Gonzalez Rojas (D-Queens), Tony Simone (D-Manhattan) and Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), as well as mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens), have also called for Adams' removal from office.
“Eric Adams should resign. Even before this indictment, he has completely failed to address the rising cost of living crisis that is driving working families off the city – in fact, he has only made it worse,” Mamdani said.
State Senators Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn), Gustavo Rivera (D-Brooklyn), Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn), Zellnor Miley (D-Brooklyn), Brad Holleyman Siegel (D-Manhattan) and John Liu (D-Queens) also joined in calling for the mayor to step down.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) became the highest-ranking Democrat to call for Adams to resign “for the good of the city,” hours before it became clear that he had been indicted.
Adams is the first sitting mayor of New York City to be indicted.
“I am demanding a speedy trial so that New Yorkers can hear the truth,” he told the Post.
Adams said he had been targeted by federal authorities for defending New Yorkers, and vowed to “fight back with all his might and all his spirit.”
