New York City Council members are calling for Eric Adams’ “immediate” resignation following federal indictment

A growing number of elected officials in New York City have called on embattled Mayor Eric Adams to resign in the face of federal criminal charges, saying he is “unfit to serve and lead.”

In an indictment unsealed Thursday, federal prosecutors charged Adams with five counts of bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions. The news followed a series of federal investigations into the mayor and several of his top aides.

“Since the first scandal came to light, the mayor has been determined to ‘stay focused, not distracted and struggling,’ maintaining that everything he does is for the people of this city. But no one can focus on this constant stream of distractions: scandals, resignations, subpoenas, FBI raids and now damning indictments dating back a decade,” the NYC Progressive Caucus wrote in a statement.

“We have too many pressing problems that require steady, honest and forward-looking leadership. The only thing he is doing is bringing our city to a standstill.”

NEW YORK MAYOR ERIC ADAMS CHARGED

New York City Mayor Eric Adams holds a press conference at City Hall in June. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

The city’s 18-member Progressive Caucus wrote that Adams’ time in office included an “alarming level of political favoritism,” comparable to a system of cronyism and favoritism that we haven’t seen in nearly a century.

“This is a crisis of his own making, a reflection of poor decision-making, failed leadership and disregard for the rule of law he espouses,” he added. “No amount of scapegoating can distract from the seriousness and thoroughness of the federal investigation. Mayor Adams must resign.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ attorney Alex Spiro speaks during a press conference outside the Gracie Mansion on Thursday in New York. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

New York City Council member Robert Holden, who serves on the conservative-leaning Common Sense Caucus, called for Adams to resign, saying he “cannot lead effectively with this cloud hanging over him.”

“Sad day for NYC as a sitting mayor is indicted on federal charges. While @NYCMayor is presumed innocent until proven guilty, there is no way he can lead effectively with this cloud hanging over him,” Holden wrote on resign for the good of New Yorkers.”

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Council member Linda Lee echoed Holden’s thoughts, saying that while Adams has the right to defend himself against the allegations, he is “unfit to serve and lead.”

“Everyday New Yorkers should not have to deal with the type of uncertainty and chaos we are seeing at City Hall,” Lee wrote in a statement. “The mayor is entitled to due process and the right to defend himself against these allegations, but not to the detriment of the greatest city in the world. At this time he is unfit to serve and lead and must resign immediately.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference outside Gracie Mansion on Thursday. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Councilmember Sandy Nurse took aim at Adams’ law-and-order platform.

“Mayor Adams represented a ‘law and order’ platform. “Throughout his time in office, he never missed an opportunity to attack progressives and the left and accuse us of not being serious about community safety and crime,” Nurse said. “Now his government is nothing more than a mess of corruption, fraud and dysfunction.”

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“It is impossible to effectively govern a city amid a constant stream of resignations, scandals and now indictments. And with the looming threat of another Trump presidency – which would be disastrous for New York City – we need strong, honest leadership focused on solving our city’s most persistent problems. Above all, we need a leader who will put the city above him and his friends.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference in June. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

READ THE CHARGE:

The calls for Adams’ resignation come after federal prosecutors alleged Thursday that the 64-year-old illegally received foreign and corporate campaign contributions for a decade in exchange for influence.

Adams denied the allegations in a video statement, saying all charges against him were “completely false and based on lies.” He suggested that his criticism of the Biden administration’s disastrous border policies had made him a target of retaliation.

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“The federal government has done nothing as its broken immigration policies have overwhelmed our protection system without any remedy,” he said. “I put the people of New York above party and politics.”

Michael Ruiz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.