Scandal-plagued, politically isolated and federally indicted Mayor Eric Adams could be one of the biggest winners in President Donald Trump's second term, insiders told The Post Thursday. told.
The buzz swirling this week at the SOMOS conference (an annual political retreat in Puerto Rico that brings together New York politicians) is that President Trump is in the White House and that Mr. Adams is involved in a historic bribery and corruption scandal. This means that the chances of survival, both legal and political, are increasing.
“If President Trump becomes president, Eric Adams will be reinstated with a presidential pardon,” one Democratic operative quipped.
President Trump has repeatedly expressed his belief that Adams is being coerced by vengeful federal prosecutors, and after Tuesday's election, some in the mayor's camp have expressed concern that the president-elect is interfering with the case. , a source close to the matter said, doubly supporting his theory that there is even a possibility that the conviction could be overturned. said the mayor.
Mr. Adams' inner circle itself is divided into two camps over what Mr. Trump's victory means for Mr. Hezner, insiders told the Post.
Officials say Trump could help Adams' legal fight by hiring a new federal prosecutor, effectively killing the case, or pardoning the mayor if he is found guilty at trial. That's what he thinks.
But people close to Mr. Adams say that if the federal case is dropped, New York state prosecutors, and possibly Attorney General Letitia James, could reopen the case with a focus on the straw donor accusations. They are concerned, officials said.
The whispers coincided with an actual meeting between Trump and Adams, with Adams revealing on Thursday that he had spoken to the president-elect the day before.
Adams declined to reveal many details about the chat, including whether the two talked about his criminal case, but offered that the conversation would focus on New York City.
“I communicated with the president yesterday and told him that there are a lot of issues here in the city that I would like to work with the administration to address, and I would like to address a number of infrastructure issues,” he said.
“The city has to move forward. That's our goal.”
Beyond the impact on Adams' criminal case, Somos political insiders continue to speculate about what President Trump's inauguration will mean for the mayor's position within the Democratic Party.
Adams, a former Republican, publicly supported Vice President Kamala Harris but avoided badmouthing President Trump ahead of Tuesday's election.
He particularly pushed back against Democrats' accusations that the Republican nominee was a “fascist” comparable to Adolf Hitler, and coyly hinted that he would welcome Trump's support in fighting corruption charges.
And behind the scenes, Adams' legal team hired lawyers with ties to Trump.
Insiders had wondered if the New York Democratic Party's reaction to Trump's inauguration could alienate Mr. Adams from the party, given his willingness to curry favor with the president-elect.
Adams' status as a moderate or even conservative Democrat could be a boon for him if the party realigns to win back voters turned off by recent stances on crime and social issues. Some people point out that there is.
But if the New York Democratic Party pushes further to the left to build a bulwark of resistance against President Trump's expected hardline crackdown on issues such as abortion and immigration, Mr. Adams will have no place in the party, insiders say. said.
For example, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General already held a joint press conference on Wednesday, indicating that they are prepared to “fight back” against President Trump's policy proposals.
Adams' reputation and future are at risk from five federal indictments unsealed in September, but Hochul has so far declined to call for him to resign or be removed from office. I am doing it.
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York allege that Adams took bribes from Turkish nationals and government officials in the form of $123,000 worth of luxury travel benefits and defrauded taxpayers of $10 million in campaign funds through illegal straw donations. did.
He pleaded not guilty.
