New York City Mayor Eric Adams is maintaining his innocence and saying he has no plans to resign after being indicted on federal charges of bribery conspiracy, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is the only person who has authority to remove Adams from office but she has not yet indicated whether she plans to exercise that power.
If that is the case and Adams is replaced, then his role will be filled by New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. RELATED STORY | FBI searches homes of at least 3 top deputies to New York City's mayor Williams, a progressive Democrat, would then take over as acting mayor and would be responsible for setting a date for a special election — which wouldn't have primaries and candidates would appear on the ballot without a party affiliation next to their name. Williams, a former city council member, made no mention of potentially being elevated to acting mayor, but he did react to the indictment on Thursday.
“It is federal officials’ obligation to prove their case, it is the mayor’s obligation to prove to New Yorkers that there is a real plan and path to govern the city effectively and regain trust, and his time to show that plan is rapidly running out," Williams said. "As the Public Advocate, my role is to fight for the transparency, accountability, and governance that New Yorkers deserve. In a moment of intense turmoil, I am committed to working with my fellow elected officials and the many t.