Adams has maintained that he will not resign, vowing to fight the allegations made against him, despite the 57-page indictment alleging 10 years of corruption by the New York City mayor. Here is how various officials from the Empire State reacted to Adams becoming the first sitting New York City mayor to be criminally indicted.

Officials calling on Adams to resign

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), one of several members of Congress representing part of the city, called on Adams to resign Wednesday. The statement came prior to Adams’s indictment, but after several officials in the mayor’s office resigned and investigations into his office mounted.

I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City.

The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.

For the good of the city, he should resign.…

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 25, 2024

Various city officials have called on Adams to resign. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running the Democratic primary against Adams in next year’s mayoral race, called on Adams to resign.

First and foremost, this is a sad day for New Yorkers. Trust in public institutions — especially City Hall — is essential for our local democracy to function and for our city to flourish. The hardworking people of New York City deserve a city government and leadership they can…

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) September 26, 2024

“Mayor Adams, like all New Yorkers, deserves due process, the presumption of innocence, and his day in court. However, it is clear that defending himself against serious federal charges will require a significant amount of the time and attention needed to govern this great city,” Lander said in a statement.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso also called on Adams to “put New Yorkers first and resign,” in a statement Thursday. Multiple state senators, state assembly members, and city council members have also called on Adams to resign.

Various political groups in the state called for Adams to resign, including the New York City Democratic Socialists and the New York Working Families Party. The New York Conservative Party called on Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) to remove Adams from office, while the New York Republican Party called the indictment an example of the failure of Democrats running the city and state.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), who represents a Congressional District, which includes Staten Island and a small part of Brooklyn, joined the chorus of those calling on Adams to resign or be removed by Hochul.

Mayor Adams has failed our city, has broken the public trust and should resign or be removed by Governor Hochul. Our city is suffering greatly, taxpayers deserve better and we need to restore a functioning city government as soon as possible.

— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) September 26, 2024

“Mayor Adams has failed our city, has broken the public trust and should resign or be removed by Governor Hochul. Our city is suffering greatly, taxpayers deserve better and we need to restore a functioning city government as soon as possible,” Malliotakis’s office said in a post on X.

Those not calling on Adams to resign…yet

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY), the most powerful official in the Empire State, has not commented on the matter, with a spokesperson telling NBC New York that she is “aware” of the reports and is “monitoring the situation.”

The next in line to succeed Adams, should he resign or be removed, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, declined to say the mayor should resign but called the indictment is “incredibly serious” in a statememt.

Two former New York City mayors, former Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, both urged that Adams is entitled to a presumption of innocence, until proven otherwise.

Mayor Adams indictment may be a chance to resurrect our constitutional rights and values. I don’t know if Mayor Adams did, or did not do, the things alleged in the indictment and other leaks. I know in a similar situation Mayor Edward I. Koch was entirely innocent of the charges…

— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) September 26, 2024

“Mayor Adams indictment may be a chance to resurrect our constitutional rights and values. I don’t know if Mayor Adams did, or did not do, the things alleged in the indictment and other leaks. I know in a similar situation Mayor Edward I. Koch was entirely innocent of the charges I proved in a federal court against some of his closest political allies,” Giuliani wrote on X.

“Mayor Adams, like me and you, is entitled to the presumption of innocence. You can have your own opinion about this case,of course, but reserve final judgment until it is fully litigated in a court of law,” he added.

De Blasio said he had “mixed reactions” upon hearing of Adams’s indictment and said that the mayor deserves “the presumption of innocence,” while on CNN Wednesday.

“I do think we have to be really careful here. We haven’t seen anything specific, we don’t know what this is yet, we haven’t heard a defense,” de Blasio said.

“If he truly believes he’s innocent, he has a right to stand up and say that and keep his job. But he does owe it to New Yorkers to explain how he’s going to navigate that reality and provide the leadership we need,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), whose Congressional District covers part of Brooklyn, also urged that Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence, but also said he would “pray for the well-being” of the city.

“The indictment of a sitting mayor is a serious and sober moment for New York City. 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,” Jeffries said in a statement.

“A jury of the Mayor’s peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination. In the meantime, I pray for the well-being of our great City,” he added.

The Brooklyn Democratic Party, the borough where Adams served as president from 2014 until 2021, also declined to say the mayor should resign at this time.

“Our laws mandate due process. An indictment is not a conviction. Every American, every New Yorker, is innocent unless proven otherwise. Those principles of fairness are meant to apply to all cases and all settings. They are enshrined in the Constitution of this nation and this state,” Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said in a statement.

“Eric Adams has dedicated his life to this City. As a police officer, he put himself in danger to protect others. As our elected Mayor, he fought to improve our lives. Fairness demands simply that Mayor Adams is given what each of us would want: a presumption of innocence,” the statement continued.