New York Democrats for the most part on Thursday stopped short of calling for the resignation of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, characterizing his federal indictment on bribery charges as a “sober” and “solemn” episode but saying the legal process should run its course.
The indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors charges the mayor with five counts including wire fraud, bribery and accepting illegal campaign donations from abroad. It came following a years-long investigation into Adams, which stretched back to 2021 during his tenure as Brooklyn borough president.
“Like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence. That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), a Brooklyn native who had defended Adams’s track record just a day earlier, said in a statement. “A jury of the Mayor’s peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking New York Democrat in the country, sounded a similar note, writing in a statement that the legal process should proceed.
“No one is above the law, including the Mayor of New York City,” Schumer said. “The charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly.”
“Any indictment is a matter to be taken seriously, and this is a solemn day for New York City,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), who represents parts of Manhattan and the Bronx, said in a statement. “In our country, a person is innocent until proven otherwise, and we must allow due process and for the legal system to proceed and run its proper course without interference.”
The one exception — so far — has been Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who called for Adams’s resignation even before the indictment was........