This article was originally going to be a warning about complying in advance in the face of rising authoritarianism, with Eric Adams as the poster child for bending the knee. However, in light of recent events, I now say in no uncertain terms, Eric Adams absolutely cannot spend another day in City Hall, and he must be removed as swiftly as possible. For the safety and security of all New Yorkers, it is imperative. He is a compromised leader.
If you go back far enough in New York City’s history, you would see that it is no stranger to crooked politicians. While it may not be as notorious for them as its neighbor to the west (yes, I’m talking about New Jersey), the history of Tammany runs deep. In recent decades, the mayor’s office seemed to not be as blatantly abused as it may have been in a bygone era. When the Adams indictments dropped in September, that clean streak was broken.
Damian Williams, the former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, rounded off his four-year term of indicting predatory musicians, senators with gold bars in their closets, and crypto geeks, with Adams’ possibly being his most impactful case yet. Through an extensive investigation, S.D.N.Y. prosecutors outlined the story of an incredibly corrupt man who had no idea how to cover his tracks. For eleven years, Adams solicited donations and luxury gifts in exchange for a variety of favors and influence in the most important municipal government in this country. As the Feds were closing in, Adams tried making a last ditch attempt to cover up the proof of his crimes by changing his phone password. He clearly knew the jig was up and was scrambling just to save face.
But he was saved. Not by a stellar defense argument or by holes in the prosecutors’ case. Instead, it was the presidential election that saved him. When Donald Trump won this past November and Eric Adams began sucking up to him, many people figured that the moderate mayor would be a candidate for a pardon. However, a pardon would not make sense from Trump’s perspective, as it is well documented that his preferred method for negotiation is a quid pro quo. He needs something in return, and a pardon surrenders his leverage. A wrinkle in this story is that Adams was prosecuted federally, meaning that his case fell under the jurisdiction of the Justice Department. Williams, the lead prosecutor in S.D.N.Y. when the indictment was filed, no longer holds the seat, as it is an office appointed by the president. This allowed for a situation that gives Trump the leverage he wants.
The deal that has come into focus over the past couple days is a simple quid pro quo. The D.O.J. has instructed S.D.N.Y. to drop the charges without prejudice — meaning the charges could be picked up again at any point in time —, in exchange for Adams to suspend sanctuary city laws and enable mass deportations in the city. The result would be a city functionally under control of the Trump administration. Since the charges are to be dropped without prejudice, they can hold Adams hostage and it seems as though they are not intent on hiding that fact. Given this leverage, it is fair to assume that the demands will only grow even further, and given the attempts at erasing transgender people at the federal level, one can assume persecution in the city would extend to them and other minority groups.
So what do we do now? City Hall is compromised by people obsessed with inflicting further pain on our most vulnerable peoples, and the general election for mayor is not until November — far too long to risk waiting it out. Adams refuses to resign, and federal prosecutors willing to stand for the rule of law were dropping like flies until an attorney finally agreed to go along with the plan. Thankfully, there is one clear path out.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, according to state law and the City Charter, reserves the right to remove a sitting mayor at will. She must provide a reason, and Adams will be offered a chance to defend himself before she makes her final decision. This clause has never been carried out before, though Franklin Delano Roosevelt considered carrying it out to remove Tammany stalwart Jimmy Walker, who ended up resigning instead. Though it is unprecedented, we are currently living in unprecedented times. After all, there has never been a more overt attempt by the federal government to force a mayor of this city into submission than what we are witnessing today. For the sake of all New Yorkers, Gov. Hochul must remove Eric Adams from office, so that we may return to a city hall held by people who actually represent the people of this city.
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