Several Bronx elected officials are calling for Mayor Eric Adams to resign following his indictment by Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, on charges of corruption and bribery.
The charges against Adams unsealed Sept. 26 date back to his tenure as Brooklyn Borough President and are compounded by other investigations and resignations among top city leaders. Meanwhile, Adams has said he will not step down and maintains his innocence, claiming that the charges are political retaliation for his criticism of the federal government’s handling of immigration.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson has not yet issued an official statement but posted on her personal page on X, “Today represents a sad day in our city,” with a red-faced angry emoji.
Council Member Oswald Feliz called for Adams to step down in a soc. “New Yorkers deserve a government that is free from chaos,” he said.
Some Bronx electeds did not wait for the charges to be revealed to call for the mayor’s resignation.
Among those who called for his exit prior to the unsealing of the indictment was Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who represents the northwest Bronx. Following news of the charges, he took to social media again to post a 2021 news image of Andrew Cuomo the day the former governor announced his resignation on accusations of sexual assault. “For everyone who believes getting [Adams] to do the right thing and RESIGN is not possible, allow me to retort,” Rivera wrote.
Before the indictment was unsealed, Bronx Assembly Member Karines Reyes posted on X that while not yet knowing the charges, “[W]e are only left to assume the worst, given the numerous investigations that have been revealed in recent weeks and months,” Reyes said.
The most high-profile official thus far to call for Adams to resign is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the South Bronx and reiterated her stance in a Spectrum 1 news interview.
“I think this is a really sad day for our city,” she said — and added that Adams’ accusations that the Department of Justice is engaged in political retaliation are “out of Donald Trump’s playbook.”
Adams is expected to be arraigned in court on Friday, Sept. 27. This story will be updated as more Bronx elected officials send official statements.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
