Last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with abusing his position by seeking out and taking bribes from the Turkish Government, as well as stealing over $10 million in public funds. Adams became the first sitting mayor in city history to be charged with a federal crime, cementing his legacy among the worst New York has ever seen.
The Adams administration has been nothing short of a disaster for the largest city in the country, and perhaps that is the greater overall point of this article. Between the astronomical decline in public library funding, the drastic rise in youth homelessness, the gross mishandling of migrants, his sketchy history with crypto, a claim of sexual assault and a proven proficiency in lying, the news of Adams being taken down is far from surprising.
Even going back to his days as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams had a history of mishandling funds from a non-profit and providing false information to state investigators regarding a gambling operation in Queens.
However, when breaking down why Adams was probed and eventually charged, the details seem rather tame compared to the vibrant history we’ve become accustomed to with the disgraced mayor. Free travel to Turkey? Bypassing a FDNY inspection for a building? Falsely reporting public campaign funds? Why are these the issues that prompted a federal probe and not, say, when former Mayor Bill de Blasio was accused of nearly the exact same crimes? Or when de Blasio’s “Thrive” program inexplicably spent $816 million of city funds.
The timing of the Adams charges seems politically motivated, with the New York City mayoral election cycle starting up within the next few months. Though we don’t know for sure who will be running, several early favorites include Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Scott Stringer, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Attorney General Letitia James.
As for any potential repercussions of the charges presented to Adams, it seems increasingly likely the mayor will finish out his term set to conclude next year. The nature of the crimes are not substantial enough to cause Governor Kathy Hochul to remove Adams from office, and could leave the door open for him to seek reelection, though recent poll numbers suggest any such campaign would be futile. For now, however, the Adams administration will continue to embarrass the city as residents await a potential trial.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @ericadamsfornyc, Instagram
