(AFP) – The head of New York’s city council on Monday called for the resignation of Mayor Eric Adams, days after the US Justice Department moved to dismiss a corruption case against him. Adams, who pleaded not guilty in September to charges of fraud and bribery, has denied allegations he asked for the case to be dropped in exchange for enforcing President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda.
The Democratic mayor of the country’s most populous city has been under pressure on a number of fronts, with some members of his own party criticizing him for cooperating with Trump. On Monday, four deputy mayors for the city of New York indicated they would be resigning, plunging local politics into further chaos.
“With the resignation of deputy mayors, it has become clear that Mayor Adams has now lost the confidence and trust of his own staff, his colleagues in government, and New Yorkers,” City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (no relation to the mayor) said in a statement. “He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign.”
The four resigning deputy mayors cited the “extraordinary events” of recent weeks as a reason for their departure, The New York Times reported, citing a letter issued by the officials. “Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” they said.
In a statement, Adams said he was “disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision.” Earlier, several prosecutors in the Southern District of New York who brought the charges against Adams resigned over the Justice Department order to drop the case.
The most recent was assistant US attorney Hagan Scotten, who said Friday only a “fool” or a “coward” would comply. Scotten’s boss, acting US attorney Danielle Sassoon, submitted her resignation to the country’s Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday. Several members of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, which handles corruption cases, also quit this week after refusing to dismiss the Adams indictment.
The Justice Department motion seeks dismissal without prejudice — meaning the case could still be prosecuted in the future and would hang over Adams’s head as he runs for reelection in November.
© 2024 AFP
