LGBTQ lawmakers call on Mayor Adams to resign after federal indictment

Multiple out lawmakers in the City Council and State Legislature called on Mayor Eric Adams to resign after he was hit with a five-count federal indictment on charges of bribery, fraud, and seeking foreign campaign donations dating back to his tenure as Brooklyn borough president and continuing through his time as mayor.

Federal prosecutors at the Office of US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams are accusing the mayor of soliciting and receiving illegal foreign donations as well as other benefits from wealthy foreign donors and a Turkish government official stretching back to 2014, including free and discounted Turkish Airlines flights, hotel rooms, meals, and more. In exchange, prosecutors say Adams pushed the FDNY to fast-track the approval of a Turkish consular building in Manhattan despite concerns about fire safety.

All in all, the indictment includes one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, solicit foreign contributions, and accept bribes; one count of wire fraud; two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national; and one count of bribery.

A late-morning announcement by Williams and others, including the New York City Department of Investigation commissioner, came hours after the feds swarmed the mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion, and took his phone during the pre-dawn hours on Sept. 26.

“Public office is a privilege,” Williams said as he announced the indictment. “We allege that Mayor Adams abused that privilege and broke the law, laws that are designed to ensure that officials like him serve the people — not the highest bidder, not a foreign bidder, and certainly not a foreign power.”

The whirlwind scene followed an explosive report by the New York Times, which first broke the news of the indictment on the evening of Sept. 25.

The investigation into the mayor has coincided with other federal probes surrounding the administration and prompted the resignations of key officials, including the police commissioner, schools chancellor, and the mayor’s top counsel. Others, including the health commissioner, have announced they will step down at the end of the year.

Adams has remained defiant: He is maintaining his innocence, vowing to continue serving as mayor, and saying his “day-to-day will not change.” He also implied that the charges were related to his criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. 

Some of the city’s out LGBTQ lawmakers encouraged the mayor to resign before the indictment, while others were motivated to speak out after the news broke. Queens Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, who co-chairs the Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, said on Sept. 16 that the mayor “leads with corruption and mismanagement” and was “unfit to govern.” It was “time for him to resign,” she said.

Cabán issued a follow-up statement on X Sept. 25, saying, “Eric Adams is the first sitting NY mayor to be indicted on criminal charges. It was true when I called on him to resign a week ago, and it’s true now: he is unable to effectively lead and govern. While he awaits his right to due process, he must resign. New York deserves better.”

Out queer Brooklyn Councilmember Chi Ossé told the mayor to step down in a social media video posted on X shortly after 11 p.m. on Sept. 25 — just hours after the news first broke.

“Eric Adams needs to resign as mayor of New York City,” Ossé said. Speaking of the flood of investigations — and resignations — swirling City Hall, Ossé added, “Half the city’s leadership is out of commission. I’m not going to lie. They look guilty. But more importnatly, no one is running our city right now. Our schools, healthcare, police, and more have no leadership. This city of nine million people need someone steering this ship, and now it’s clear it cannot be corrupt cop Eric Adams.”

Another out Brooklyn city lawmaker, Crystal Hudson, who formerly co-chaired the LGBTQIA+ Caucus, also told the mayor to resign.

“The more than eight million New Yorkers in our city need a leader who can focus on building housing, cleaning our streets, educating our children, and keeping our communities safe,” Hudson said in a statement shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 26. “This Mayor will have only one focus as this indictment plays out, one that will single handedly inhibit his ability to govern. We deserve better. He must resign immediately. Thousands of public servants — including myself — wake up every day ready to serve. That work doesn’t stop. In spite of the chaos at City Hall, my colleagues in the City Council and I are ready, and prepared, to continue working for New Yorkers.”

Out Councilmember Lynn Schulman of Queens issued a statement about Adams’ indictment but did not call on him to resign.

“The rank and file workers of NYC… first responders, sanitation workers, transit workers, educators, and many others are the bedrock to making our city function,” Schulman said in a written statement. “While the indictment of Mayor Adams, along with the recent upheavel at City Hall, is very concerning to all of us, our city is not paralyzed. City workers at the ground level are continuing their efforts and it is vital that we support them, especially now. As elected officials, it is our responsibility to ensure that our constituents — the hardworking people of New York who elected us into office — are not neglected and continue to receive the services they deserve without interruption. The road ahead is somewhat unknown right now and there wil be many bumps along the way, but we will get through this together.”

Out state lawmakers representing districts in New York City have also called for the mayor’s resignation. Out State Senator Jabari Brisport of Brooklyn, the first out LGBTQ person of color elected to the New York State Legislature, called on Adams to resign on Sept. 17 — more than a week before news broke of the indictment. During an appearance on CNN Sept. 25, Brisport said he was surprised the mayor had yet to quit and that it has been “evident for awhile now that he’s completely unfit to run this city” in the face of ongoing resignations in the administration.

Manhattan State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the chair of the upper chamber’s judiciary committee, first posted on X around 10 p.m. on Sept. 25, writing, “It’s untenable for Mayor Adams to continue in office while under federal indictment.” 

Hoylman-Sigal issued a follow-up post on X shortly after 8 a.m. on Sept 26 urging for a “clean up” of City Hall — and posted three broom emojis to emphasize the point. 

“The people of NYC deserve a higher standard for their elected officials than ‘innocent until proven guilty,'” Hoylman-Sigal wrote.

Out Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas of Queens also echoed calls for Adams to leave office.

“The mayor has been indicted on federal charges of corruption and can no longer govern effectively,” González-Rojas said on X Sept. 25. “Enough is enough. Eric Adams must resign immediately for the sake of NYC.”

Out Assemblymember Tony Simone, also of Manhattan, joined in, as well.

“I no longer have faith in Mayor Adams ability to execute the job and call for him to resign,” Simone said on X. “When our city voted for him, they voted for a candidate who pledged to uphold our laws. The stream of raids and resignations have culminated in the Mayors indictment for corruption.”

Manhattan Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who is the first out LGBTQ member of the New York State Legislature, also believes Adams should go.

“This is still America — and people are innocent until proven guilty — so @NYCMayor deserves same consideration,” Glick wrote on X. “That said, the city’s performance on many matters important to NYers is what should result in his departure.”

Daniel O’Donnell, another out assemblymember from Manhattan, echoed Glick’s position, saying the mayor should be presumed innocent until proven guilty but nonetheless should resign. O’Donnell cast doubt on Adams’ ability to effectively serve while dealing with legal trouble.

The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, a citywide LGBTQ political club, questioned the administration’s ability to lead the city after the indictment and said the club would hold a full vote with members in the coming days to determine a position on the mayor’s future.

“The Board of the Stonewall Democrats of NYC expresses our deep concern that the Mayor will not be able to effectively manage the city as he is under federal indictment and many of his senior leaders resign,” the club said on Facebook. “New Yorkers deserve a Mayor focused on the critical issues that impact community, including working to build LGBTQ inclusive housing, protecting trans youth from bullying, and addressing systemic discrimination. The Stonewall Democrats of NYC will hold a full club vote in the coming days to determine if our members believe Eric Adams should step down.”

The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, led by club president Allen Roskoff, strongly criticized Adams and demanded that he pay for his own defense and avoid using taxpayer dollars for legal costs. The club also slammed the mayor for accusing investigators of “pursuing him for political purposes,” saying Adams is “relying on Trumpian language and MAGA rationale to confuse New Yorkers about incredibly serious allegations of felony crimes.”

“The mayor’s words and actions demonstrate that he cares nothing for his city or his country,” the club said in a written statement. “The JOLDC endorsed Maya Wiley in the 2021 mayoral primary and refused to endorse Adams in the general election. Adams has failed all New Yorkers and the LGBTQ+ community specifically by appointing well-known bigots to serve in his administration. We stand by our decision and are unsurprised by this week’s events. This is a sad day for New Yorkers. We must turn a new page for our city.”