Mayor Eric Adams surrounded himself outside Gracie Mansion with some of his longest-standing allies on Thursday, asking New Yorkers to “wait to hear our defense” just minutes after federal prosecutors unsealed their indictment against him on bribery and other charges.
“We are not surprised,” he said, surrounded by New York State NAACP president Hazel Dukes, the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, his longtime mentor, and other allies, most of whom were Black community leaders.
“We expected this,” the mayor added.
But Adams’ message of resiliency — as the first sitting mayor in New York City’s history to be criminally charged — was initially drowned out by protestors, who chanted for him to resign. He said he wouldn’t.
Among the loudest voices was that of activist Hawk Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, who called the press conference “ridiculous” while using a megaphone.
“This is not a Black thing,” he shouted at the mayor, “This is a you thing! Your policies are anti-Black!”
The cacophony of critics surrounding New York City’s 110th mayor swelled Thursday as U.S. Attorney Damien Williams unveiled a 57-page indictment that said Adams performed favors for Turkish foreign nationals in exchange for $100,000 in plane tickets and accommodations. He’s also accused of asking for illegal donations from Turkish citizens, which in turn bolstered the taxpayer-provided matching funds for his 2021 mayoral campaign.
The indictment includes allegations of wire fraud, bribery and receiving contributions that he knew were illegal, prosecutors said.
Adams denied the charges in the press conference saying, “based on what I read, it’s clear that if it’s campaign violations, I know I don’t violate the campaign rules,” he said. “Foreign donors — I know I don’t take money from foreign donors.”
Due Process
As Adams faced reporters under a tent in the rain, the rowdy press conference included constant heckling by opponents and feisty supporters who heckled back.
Through the heated exchanges,the mayor insisted he would remain on the job even as so many of his top appointees have resigned or announced exits, including the police commissioner, schools chancellor and his chief counsel.
“From here my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of the city. My day to day will not change,” he said. “I will continue to do the job for 8.3 million New Yorkers that I was elected to do — and the 300,000-plus employees of our city government will continue to do their job because this is what we do as New Yorkers.”
The mayor also sent an email, obtained by THE CITY, to city workers Thursday afternoon, encouraging them to “remain focused.”
“While my legal team thoroughly reviews the allegations that were just released publicly, let me be very clear, I know I’ve done nothing wrong,” the email reads. “I am committed to continuing to fight on behalf of New Yorkers as your mayor.”
He signed off, “Thank You, Eric.”
Before the mayor spoke outside Gracie Mansion, Dukes told reporters she was “angry” when she learned of the indictment — but not at Adams.
“Let the due process roll, and he is not to resign. Let the process go,” she said. “I think this is so unfair that we’ve been waiting for 10 months for an indictment to come down, leaking stuff to the press.”
Dukes was referring to the first whiff of an investigation last November, when the mayor’s chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, had her home raided last November. Federal agents seized the mayor’s phones a few days later — and again on Thursday morning in a pre-dawn search warrant that Adams’ lawyer said was to “create a spectacle.”
As Adams listened to his supporters, one man put his hand on his shoulder. The more than two-dozen people huddled under the tent with him had known him for most of his life, back in his early days, they said.
“He stood with us on the steps [of City Hall] and saved lives,” said supporter Jackie Rowe-Adams, who lost two sons to gun violence, of Adams’ early activism and his support of police.
The press conference ended, however, with loud chants of “Resign! Resign! Resign” from Newsome and others.
‘A Grave Moment for Our City’
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams — the mayor’s former high school classmate — called the federal indictment “deeply troubling” at an unrelated press conference Thursday.
“I remain deeply concerned about the impact of all of this on our city government and on New Yorkers,” she said. “I ask the mayor to seriously and honestly consider whether full attention can be given to our deserving New Yorkers who need our government to be sound and stable.”
She said whether the mayor resigns is his “personal choice,” and expected him “to fulfill the duties of his role as we have without interruption.”
Speaking at a separate, unrelated press conference in Brooklyn on Thursday morning, deputy mayors Meera Joshi and Maria Torres-Springer echoed that sentiment as they acknowledged the indictment and emphasized their roles as public servants, committed to serving the people of New Yorker.
“We understand the weight of this moment and I myself am feeling heartbroken and pain at the seriousness of this moment,” Torres-Springer said.
“There’s no debate this is a grave moment and point for our city,” Joshi said. “In dark days, it’s vital to remember the tens of thousands of dedicated public servants who keep our complex and beautiful city running every second, every minute, every hour, year after year.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, speaking in Syracuse, called the mayor’s indictment “a very serious matter,” but did not address whether or not she thought he should resign.
“I will be deliberative. I’ll be thoughtful,” she said. “But we’re gonna come to the right resolution on what to do in this moment.”
Meanwhile, at least two labor leaders defended Adams.
“I would be shocked if Mayor Adams was actually guilty of anything he’s being accused of,” Patrick Ferraiuolo, president of the Correction Captains Association, told THE CITY.
“I know he has plenty of people who don’t like him,” he added. “But he’s been very supportive of us. I support him 100% and hope and pray he’s acquitted of any charge.”
Denis Quirk, who represented state court officers for years, also backed Adams.
“I think this is retaliation against him by [President] Joe Biden,” the influential retired labor leader told THE CITY. “Once he made the comments about Washington not helping me they went after him.”
At an unrelated White House press conference on Thursday, Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about Adams and said: “The president was clear even when he was running in 2020 that he was going to make sure that DOJ is independent, and the DOJ is handling this case independently — I’m not going to go beyond that..”
But Quirk doesn’t believe it.
“I’ve known Eric a long time,” he said. “I believe him. I support him.”
