By now, Eric Adams has been eulogized by much of the New York media. Being accused of benefiting from and giving kickbacks to representatives of a foreign power would make national news for any mayor, but as the sitting mayor of New York City, it’s amplified significantly. The fallout has led to calls for his resignation, but Adams has so far refused to bow out.
His being a Democrat hasn’t offered much of a shield either. Notable voices like former mayoral candidate Andrew Yang and Comptroller Brad Lander have joined the chorus, and this is to be expected seeing that they are political opponents looking for an opportunity. It is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) who is the loudest and most significant critic when it comes to shaping public opinion.
On X (formerly Twitter), AOC made it clear that the investigation is already hurting the city. She pointed to reoccurring vacancies in his administration and the potentiality of the pool of qualified candidates shrinking, with many not wanting to be part of an embattled mayor’s team. AOC didn’t mention guilt or innocence; for her, this is about the functional capacity of City Hall. Adams, for his part, shrugged off the concern, stating that his lawyers would handle the legal storm while he “takes care of the city.” He also went on to criticized AOC, labeling her a “no-show congresswoman.”
But is that even possible? I’m not sure. When I try to view Adams from a neutral perspective, I keep landing on the same conclusion: running a city while under investigation at this scale seems like a fantasy. AOC’s argument makes sense, especially when you consider the continuous departures from his administration and the cloud of scandal that has settled over City Hall.
Maybe I’ve been unfair. I haven’t kept a detailed record of what Adams has accomplished since taking office, but here’s what sticks: Eric Adams, the life of the party. That’s his image, rightly or wrongly. Sure, I remember the whole “rat czar” thing, with Adams promising to clean up the city. But beyond that? The substance hasn’t made much of an impression. Is this on me, or is this a failure of his team to get his work out there?
Talk to a few New Yorkers from Queens, and you’ll get the sense that the allegations are being brushed off as yet another case of a black politician being taken down for doing what white politicians have done for years. I pushed back on that—suggesting that it’s too simplistic a view, and that the charges are serious. But here’s the rub: neither they nor I can readily name much that Adams has done since he took office. I do know of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, of whom Human Rights Watch had a report on.
Erdoğan isn’t a familiar name for some that are sharing their takes on this case. He should be. After all, if Adams is in did in bed with Turkey, they should at least know who the president is. Maybe that will attest to the seriousness of the matter. Here’s the problem: too many of my conversation partners took the easy way out, turning the Adams scandal into a race issue. And yes, race often plays a pivotal role in matters of this nature. We can’t be dismissive about that. I try very hard not to. but the flat dismissal of the details is troubling.
Consider the names that are being associated with this case so far. It’s essential to highlight that AOC, a political rockstar in New York and no stranger to racial dynamics, is the primary voice calling for his resignation. She’s not just popular—she’s entrenched in New York’s political scene. In her latest reelection, AOC took home 82% of the vote in her district, writes Iryna Shkurhan. She’s not playing defense here; she’s calling the shots. And, I might add, she’s not white.
Then there’s Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was appointed by Joe Biden. Williams holds a bachelor’s in economics from Harvard, a master’s in international relations from the University of Cambridge, and a law degree from Yale Law School. He’s known for prosecuting high-profile figures like New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was considered a power broker in NY politics, and former Congressman Christopher Collins. These are white politicians.
I understood the need to present these accolades as cherries on top of the fact that Williams is a black man. But being a black man wasn’t going to win any points with those that consider any one working for the system stooges. Especially if you are a prosecutor.
I expected the pushback: the usual refrain about how any politician who challenges the status quo becomes a target. Adams himself leaned into this narrative when he said, “I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, I would be a target—and a target I became.” That could be true.
I caught a clip on Instagram—though I can’t recall the source—where Adams was talking about the migrant crisis, claiming the city’s infrastructure is overwhelmed, not just by people from South America but from around the world. This was in contrast to what I previously heard from the mayor. I remember the welcoming of migrants with open arms. In a rally held in August 2023, Adams reaffirmed his support for immigrants. He stated, “Please, as a son of immigrants, I know that immigrants are welcome here.” He also emphasized that he “did not hesitate one second to say, ‘We need to support asylum seekers and we need to address this situation head-on.’“
It’s tempting to connect the dots and say the changing of his position made him a target. Is that plausible? Maybe. But why can’t both be true? Why can’t it be that Adams stopped scratching some significant backs and also accepted benefits from foreign friendlies? Maybe this is just how Adams understood the political system to work. Unless, of course, he’s being framed and the government is fabricating all the evidence (which I doubt). That seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through for someone who isn’t exactly a heavyweight on the national stage. I mean, did anyone really expect a presidential bid from him? I sure didn’t.
It’s hard to pass judgment when so much remains unresolved. We don’t have the full picture, and Adams is right to say that we need to hear his side. But AOC, again, makes a valid point too: can the city really function under a mayor embroiled in such a high-profile scandal? It’s tough to imagine City Hall thriving when the man in charge is under constant suspicion.
I also have reservations about how Adams framed why he’s a target. Some time ago, I reflected on Cuomo’s resignation, where Cuomo, in his speech, stated that if he stayed and fought the charges, “It will consume government. It will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. It will brutalize people.” He also said, “New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York, and I love you. And everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love.” At the time, I commented that “Cuomo paints himself as a martyr, acting as if his resignation is in the state’s best interest.”
What exactly does that mean? Pleading not guilty doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t true—it could mean that what happened shouldn’t be considered wrongdoing. He could be saying that there is enough to suggest the substantiation of an alternative interpretation that isn’t consistent with law breaking.
I’m watching closely for more developments. For starters, we should take a hard look at who’s funding Adams’ legal defense. He set up the Eric Adams Legal Defense Trust in November 2023, and by January 2024, it had reportedly raised over $750,000. The trust is said to not be allowed to “accept donations from anyone who has business with the city or anyone who has potential business with the city” for the obvious reason of hoping to get favor from the mayor.
How much more will be needed? And how much of Adams’ public image will affect future donations? Time will tell.
Featured Image: Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber announce a Subway Safety Plan at Fulton Transit Center on Fri., February 18, 2022. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA) Source: flickr. Edits by Jerry Jacques.