New York City Mayor Adams made his stance clear once again at a religious gathering on Sunday (16th), stating that he will not resign and he is not going anywhere.
“Now, I am facing a new evil,” NY1 TV quoted Adams as saying during a speech at a church in Queens. “When I was indicted, they danced on my grave… But God said: Eric, rise up.”
Adams firmly stated, “I will not resign,” adding, “I am not going anywhere.”
Last week, the Department of Justice announced the dismissal of charges against Adams, causing a stir. First, Southern District prosecutor Sassoon resigned, and her resignation letter hinted that Adams’ lawyer had requested the DOJ to drop the charges in front of her, claiming that Adams could only comply with federal immigration enforcement under this condition.
This news, combined with the DOJ actually dropping the charges against Adams and his willingness to cooperate with Border Chief Homan’s enforcement, led many New York Democratic lawmakers and officials to accuse Adams of sacrificing “sanctuary city” policies in exchange for dropping his personal lawsuit. Even New York State’s most powerful Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, joined those voices.
According to the New York Post, Stewart-Cousins said, “Perhaps it’s time for Adams to move on,” suggesting that the ongoing discussions about Adams are detracting from serving the people of New York State and City.
If Adams does not resign, according to the city charter, Governor Hochul has the authority to remove the mayor. When asked by the media, the governor did not rule out this possibility, but stated that she would not act hastily and would consult with Democratic leaders.
Following Sassoon’s resignation, as many as 7 to 8 members of the Department of Justice also resigned, refusing to comply with Deputy Acting Attorney General Bove’s dismissal order, but the latter hand-signed the motion to dismiss last Friday.
Adams maintains that there were no conditions exchanged, asserting that he is only accountable to the city’s residents and not bound by anyone.
“I want to make it clear to New Yorkers: I have never proposed—nor has anyone proposed on my behalf—using my power as mayor to end a case, and I never will,” he said in a statement released at City Hall on February 14. “I am fully responsible for the 8.3 million New Yorkers I represent, and I will always put this city first.”