Most New York City residents say they want their scandal-ridden Democrat Mayor Eric Adams to resign after he was indicted on federal criminal corruption charges, a new poll has revealed.
Adams under federal indictment for corruption, over allegations he took bribes from foreign nationals.
New Yorkers now say they’ve had enough and want Adams to step down, according to a new Marist poll.
The vast majority of NYC residents, 69%, say the mayor should resign from office.
It comes after prosecutors accused Adams of accepting bribes and soliciting illegal campaign contributions from operatives representing several foreign nations, including Communist China.
Adams could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
So far, the Democrat mayor has resisted calls to resign.
However, the survey findings show there is no support for the mayor among his constituents.
According to the survey, a whopping 71% of NYC Democrats think Adams should step down.
Only 30% of city residents said he should serve out the remainder of his term, while 2% were unsure.
The survey of New York City adults was conducted between September 30 and October 1.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
Yet, despite Adams’ refusal to step aside, he may not have too much say in the matter.
Adams could still be removed from office by New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul.
If Adams refuses to resign, 63% of survey respondents say Hochul should take action to remove the mayor.
A 65% majority of residents, including 68% Democrats, think Adams did something illegal.
Another 24% think the mayor did something unethical but not illegal.
Responding to the polling data, Dr. Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, said:
“It’s hard to imagine how Mayor Adams could be faring any worse in the court of public opinion.
“Not only do New York City residents think he has done something illegal, but they think he should resign or have Governor Hochul start the process of removing him from office.”
The mayor’s job approval rating is underwater at 26%, with 74% saying they disapprove.
81 percent of New Yorkers now say Adams should not run for re-election, according to the poll.
On Wednesday, Adams was in federal court in Manhattan for a hearing in his corruption case.
The mayor’s defense lawyers have asked the court to toss at least one charge and punish the government for leaks of confidential information.
Prosecutors said it is “quite likely” that additional charges will be filed.
Some of those charges could be against additional defendants and possibly in new cases.
The investigation is ongoing, they said.
But the defense scored a minor win in court.
Adams’ lawyers are demanding the Justice Department file quick replies to motions filed earlier this week.
The mayor is standing by his right to a speedy trial.
In response, the presiding judge gave prosecutors an Oct. 18 deadline to do so.
Adams is accused of turning unlawful bribes and campaign contributions around to rack up taxpayer cash in the form of “matching” grants that pay out $8 to 1.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is alleging that Adams used his position in government to obtain benefits.
Those benefits include things like luxury travel and fine dining from wealthy business leaders.
The individuals Adams is accused of accepting bribes from include at least one Turkish government official.
In exchange, Adams allegedly provided favors, including helping Turkey get fire department approvals to open a new diplomatic high-rise in Manhattan.
The permit was approved despite concerns about fire safety.
Adams’ defense has countered that he had no authority over the Manhattan building because he was Brooklyn’s borough president at the time.
The mayor argues that he could not and did not provide the alleged “official act” required to prove the case against him.
Adams has described the investigation as retaliation for his criticism of the Biden-Harris administration’s border policy.
The mayor previously blamed the open border policies of the White House for a migrant crisis in New York City that overwhelmed its shelter system.
The influx of illegal immigrants coincided with a spike in robberies in the Big Apple, city police said earlier this year.
https://slaynews.com/news/most-new-yorkers-democrat-mayor-eric-adams-resign-corruption-scandal/
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