Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the representative for the Bronx and Queens in the US Congress and a leading voice of the Democratic left, openly stated what many in New York have been saying in hushed tones: Besieged by scandals and affected by a wave of forced resignations, New York Mayor Eric Adams must also resign. "The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening government function," she said. "Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration." "For the good of the city, he should resign," Ocasio-Cortez asserted on Wednesday, September 25, on X and in an interview with the New York Times.

Eric Adams – an African American former police officer from Brooklyn, aged 64 – and his team are under investigation in four federal cases, the daily newspaper reported on Wednesday. The New York Times revealed on Wednesday evening Adams was indicted. The newspaper reported the indictment "remained sealed" late Wednesday, meaning the charges Adams will face were unclear.

The first long-standing investigation by the FBI focuses on the potential illegal financing of his election campaign by foreign powers. The inquiry aims to determine whether Adams pressured New York firefighters to approve, despite safety concerns, a lavish inauguration for the new Turkish consulate in exchange for campaign funding for 2021. This intervention, which occurred after his primary victory in June 2021, allegedly facilitated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inauguration of the 35-story building, costing $300 million, during the following September's United Nations General Assembly. Investigators are also looking into the complimentary upgrades Adams received on Turkish Airlines flights.

The city’s mayor had his phone seized in November 2023 by agents who confronted him as he left a public event. In July of this year, Adams received subpoenas for information requests. Prosecutors are now seeking details related to interactions with five other countries: Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.

The second federal investigation focuses on potential corruption related to contracts between the city of New York and a consulting firm run by Terence Banks, the brother of the mayor's two main aides – Philip Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety, and David Banks, who oversees the schools. All three had their phones seized by the FBI in early September, and Banks announced on Tuesday that he would resign at the end of the year. His fiancée, Sheena Wright, the mayor's first deputy, also had her phone confiscated by federal agents. "Everybody is going to think I'm leaving because of this stuff," Banks said on Wednesday, alluding to the federal investigation. "It has nothing to do with that." "The Banks family are my family," Adams said. "These are not only good public servants. They're good human beings." These comments confirm the atmosphere of cronyism that reigns at New York City Hall.

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