NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams remains under scrutiny from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the NYC City Council, regional leaders, and constituents in the city after it was announced that the DOJ told prosecutors to drop the federal corruption case against Mayor Adams. The justice department's decision comes as it shifts focus to launch new investigations into the handling of immigration enforcement...or what the DOJ believes is a lack thereof. The investigations focus on Governor Hochul, New York State, and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' chief: Mark J. F. Schroeder, a Buffalo native.
The Indictment
The World Telegram News obtained a copy of the indictment the same day it was released by prosecutors in September 2024. The indictment alleged that Mayor Adams accepted illegal campaign funds through straw contributions, referring to the idea that a foreign government contributor could give money to someone on U.S. soil to donate on their behalf, with that person falsely claiming it as their own.
Adams was also accused of accepting improper benefits with misclassified trips and alleged to have defrauded $10 million in public funds. The indictment later claimed that Adams had ties to France, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and China.
On February 24th, he weathered questions from reporters, specifically one from a reporter who challenged Mayor Adams', seeking clarification on the implications of multiple career prosecutors resigning rather than dropping the case against the mayor, raising the point that their departures could influence public perception, as resigning from a stable position suggests they strongly believed in the case.
Mayor Adams responded sharply, saying
Well, first of all, I disagree with you. I'm saying people quit jobs all over for whatever number reason. [...] You know, a couple of people in the in the news industry as well, since they're not still getting the money from USAID [...] So, speak with Alex, my attorney, he'll answer that question for you.
It's worth noting, that USAID did provide funding to various media outlets and journalists worldwide. In 2023, USAID supported 6,200 journalists, 707 non-state media outlets, and 279 media-focused NGOs across more than 30 countries, specifically focusing on funding independent media in Ukraine, according to Reporters without Borders.
However, major news organizations like the Associated Press (AP) and BBC News say they do not receive funding from USAID. The AP has been paid $37.5 million by other U.S. government agencies for services, but not by USAID.
Immigration
Adams, the incumbent mayor since 2021, has become a subject of scrutiny after the city faced an overwhelming surge of migrants from the southern border, who were bused to New York City, and other sanctuary cities in a controversial move by Republican governors that year. As a designated sanctuary city, NYC accommodated some migrants in hotels after shelters were full, while others were relocated to other counties, including Westchester and Long Island, which sparked local backlash.
Speaking to FOX News in 2024, Mayor Adams spoke of his frustrations regarding Former President Joe Biden's handling of the migrant crisis, saying that the federal government didn't give the city enough support to handle it. This marked a notable shift in Adams’ political strategy. While he initially aligned with Democratic leaders on immigration, the overwhelming influx of migrants and strained city resources may have influenced his stance.
In a 2021 interview with Brad Show Live, a YouTube channel hosted by immigration lawyer Brad Bernstein, Adams expressed his strong stance on immigration, stating:
...I say to people all the time when people tell you to go back to your country, tell them you'll go back when they go back to theirs. Because nobody started out here, but the indigenous Indians. You don't ask to sit at the seat of the table, you kick the door in and say I'm going to sit here, whether you like it or not.
In 2022, he criticized the federal government's immigration policy, when he criticised the policy that disallowed immigrants from working within 6 months of entering the country, saying
And the irony of it all, is that while we're telling 21,000 people and the representation of working age people, that they can't work... we're dealing with a shortage of jobs. Some of these asylum seekers are nurses, some of them are professionals, we have a shortage of jobs we need to fill."
He also criticized the move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to ship migrants from the southern border to New York, saying,
"It's unimaginable that what the governor of Texas has done. When you think about this country, a country that was always open to those who're fleeing persecution and other intolerable conditions – we've always welcomed that. And this governor is not doing that in Texas, but we are going to set the right message, the right tone of being there for these families."
In the months leading to now-President Trump's inauguration, Mayor Eric Adams developed a close relationship with President Trump after multiple visits to Mar-a-Lago ahead of Trump’s inauguration. In January 2025, Adams met with then President-elect Trump at his Florida resort to discuss New York City’s priorities, including public safety, economic development, and infrastructure investment. Adams emphasized that their discussions did not involve his ongoing legal issues. Mayor Adams also met with "border czar" Tom Homan a month before Inauguration Day, which he later talked about with Bloomberg Television about the meeting. On the question of whether or not the city would comply with a "roundup of migrants" using ethically questionable methods...
"I think that the border czar would articulate exactly what their methodologies are, and how they're going to operationalize what they're going to do–In the city, we're clear, and I want to take all the anxiety away from our migrants, asylum seekers and undocumented individuals: continue to use the services your tax dollars are paying for. I'm zeroing in on those who have committed repeated violent crimes."
A month later, in a press conference, he clarified
"We want to bring down the anxiety, we want our immigrants to know that this is a city of immigrants, this is a country of immigrants, it's imperative that you go to school, use the hospital services, use the police services. I went over this over and over again, and I'm just not going to keep having this same conversation over and over again."
WNYW, the FOX affiliate in New York City, reports that this renewed effort by the Trump administration (something that carried over from his first term, as seen here), had an intended effect on violent offenders in the country illegally, however, reporting from The City, an independent news organization, reports that ICE raids are believed to have targeted people in NYC that aren't criminals at all, and those who were arraigned were not given a fair trial or provided an attorney.
Amid scrutiny for Eric Adams' compliance with ICE demands, further support for undocumented migrants was pulled in February 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security announced a major funding shift that would pull back millions of dollars in Federal Aid that previously covered migrant housing in hotels. This decision came not long after the firing of a top FEMA official who was responsible for the program.
The move coincided with Executive Order 14151, signed by President Trump on Inauguration Day. Titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing", the executive order called for the withdrawal of federal money to support efforts towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
New York City filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to recover $80.5 million in migrant shelter funds that were seized without notice. Mayor Eric Adams described the action as an “unlawful money grab,” emphasizing the city’s financial strain due to managing over 231,000 migrants needing shelter. Adams spoke on this to reporters in an in-person conference announcing the closing of the Roosevelt Hotel, a make-shift shelter for Migrants, saying he believed the state is entitled to the money DHS withdrew and that the city had already filed a lawsuit. Further, he criticized what he believed was a disproportionate amount of "outrage", saying...
"...We believe that we deserve more. Now, what is the difference between what we're doing in others? How many lawsuits did the controller, the public advocate, the speaker? How many did they do when the previous administration took $7 billion from us? How many? None. You cannot stand up when it's a president that you like. You have to be consistent and fighting on behalf of New Yorkers. They did not criticize the White House one time when we were being inundated when migrants and asylum seekers. They were silent. They said nothing. They didn't bring about any legal challenges. They did nothing at all."
The Backlash and the Response
The backlash from the DOJ's decision to drop the indictment and renewed criticism over Mayor Adams' stance on immigration have put pressure on Democratic party leaders in New York to denounce him.
On February 17th, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams released a statement on Monday, saying, “With the resignation of deputy mayors, it has become clear that Mayor Adams has now lost the confidence and trust of his own staff, his colleagues in government, and New Yorkers. He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside, and resign.”
On February 20th, amid speculation that she'd take an unprecedented move, and remove Mayor Adams from office, Governor Hochul announced that she wouldn’t remove him but would increase the state’s oversight on City Hall.
Update: February 28th 2024
New York City’s mayor has also come under fire for comments he made at an event at Gracie Mansion for Black History Month.
“So this is a biblical moment. When Jesus was on the cross he said God forgive them for they know not what they do. All these negroes who are asking me to step down, God forgive them”
Adams was addressing Black New Yorkers, as well as his critics, amid continuing dissatisfaction with Mayor Adams in recent months. He later added,
“What we have done, you have to be stupid to try to stop me from running this race. There’s a level of buffoonery that is going on — that’s spreading as fast as COVID — well, you shouldn’t — you shouldn’t be talking to the president. I’m the mayor of the biggest city in America. I will talk to who I want to, to bring services to your city.”
He rallied behind his accomplishments, adding “They want to talk about me, I talk about you. They want to fight me, I fight for you. I am you. And I am going to continue to fight on your behalf. We came in with a clear agenda folks; go look at what I ran on. You go look at all the items that I ran on. And you will check them off and see we accomplished them. I knew what I was doing when I became mayor, ‘cuz I knew if I stood close to you, if I stood true to you, regardless on what anyone states and say, I can deliver for you”
This report was last updated on February 28th 2025 at 9:55PM.
