POLITICO – ‘Cult of corruption’: Stefanik tears into Dems after Eric Adams indictment

Published September 26, 2024, 5:15 p.m.

By: Emily Ngo

NEW YORK — A leading House Republican pounced Thursday on the opportunity to excoriate Democrats at large after one of their own, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, was indicted on fraud and bribery charges.

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), an ally of former President Donald Trump who’s keen to help her party protect its majority in the lower chamber, painted Adams’ alleged corruption as reflective of the rival party.

Her attack served as a preview of how New York Republicans intend to leverage the mayor’s legal troubles against other Democrats — even those who do not personally know Adams — as the parties duke it out in battlegrounds crucial to control of the House.

“This is the culmination of the cult of corruption rampant in the New York Democrat Party,” Stefanik said in a statement, “From the former disgraced Governor Cuomo and his sycophant henchmen to the Communist Chinese who have infiltrated Kathy Hochul, the least popular NY Governor in history, to now Eric Adams.”

She said Adams should “of course” resign. And she vowed Democrats would pay at the ballot box.

Adams is already featured as a bogeyman in ads and mailers in key New York House races — especially in attempts to hit Democrats on crime and immigration. And more attack ads tying the mayor to vulnerable members of his party can be expected in coming weeks, according to a New York GOP strategist granted anonymity to speak freely.

Federal prosecutors have charged Adams with five counts, including conspiracy to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions, wire fraud and bribery, alleging he accepted lavish travel perks in exchange for smoothing the path for Turkish officials to erect a skyscraper in Manhattan without it passing safety muster.

The indictment unsealed Thursday described a pattern of misconduct over a decade, dating back to Adams’ days as Brooklyn borough president.

While Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Adams’ resignation on Wednesday and Rep. Nydia Velázquez did so Thursday, few other Democrats within New York’s congressional delegation have followed suit. Several did, however, express concern about the scope and severity of the charges laid out in the 57-page indictment.

“No one is above the law, including the Mayor of New York City. The charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

“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,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America.”

Jeffries has worked with the mayor on issues including pressuring the Biden administration to help New York City care for a surge of migrants, but he had endorsed another Democrat in the 2021 primary for mayor.

Rep. Tom Suozzi, who was once floated as a possible deputy mayor of New York City, similarly cited the gravity of Adams’ situation without urging his resignation.

“It’s sad that yet another public official has been indicted. People are losing faith, but I am confident in our system of justice,” he said in a statement.

Other House Democrats have kept a relative distance from Adams over their careers.

Meanwhile in central New York, Hochul told reporters she would discuss the mayor’s criminal indictment at a later time.

“I will be deliberative, I will be thoughtful, but we’re going to come to the right resolution in this moment,” she said.

Adams can be forced from office by at least two means, according to the city charter: The governor can jump-start the process or a five-member committee can do so.

In the past two days, four battleground Democratic House challengers have called for the mayor to step down, or at least signaled that resigning would be for the best.

The National Republican Congressional Committee called Democrats “enablers” of Adams. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had yet to comment as of Thursday afternoon.

Jason Beeferman, Nicholas Wu, Daniella Diaz and Madison Fernandez contributed to this report.