Since the spring of 2023, NYC Mayor Eric Adams has been under investigation by the FBI for suspected ties between his 2021 mayoral campaign and the Turkish government. As the investigation has expanded, Federal agents have targeted members of Adams’ inner circle through raids and phone seizures, eventually even searching Adams’ official residence and personal devices. On September 26, 2024, Adams was officially indicted on five counts of bribery and fraud by the Federal government, and he pled not guilty in court the next day.

Despite calls for his resignation from government officials, Adams has adamantly defended his innocence and insisted he will complete his term as mayor.

Tech student Ariel Segura (‘27), sees such claims as futile.

“The FBI has… taken [an] entire year to come up with solid evidence to finally charge him… [they are] not playing a joke… they actually have a case against him,” said Segura. “I think it’s dumb that he’s even perpetuating the idea that he might be innocent.”

The number of officials who have called on Adams to quit include Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who urged his resignation via her X account on September 25th.

“I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez posted. “For the good of the city, he should resign.”

Students and teachers at Tech have also joined the wave of officials believing Adams should step down. Sociology and AP World History teacher Mr. Silverman believes that “if [Adams] really did care about New York and the reputation of New York… resigning would be in the best interest of the city.”

Biological Sciences major Alexandra Arkhipenko (‘25) agreed that Adams should step down, but does not believe he will. “I think that the responsible thing to do would be to quit, but based on his entire tenure as mayor I don’t really see that happening,” she said.

On September 26th, Adams sent an email to city workers, including public school teachers like Silverman, expressing his commitment to “continuing to fight on behalf of New Yorkers as your mayor.” In the same email, he also claimed that he had “done nothing wrong.” Silverman, however, was not convinced by the strong front presented in the email.

“To be candid, this has been an embarrassment for New York City,” Silverman said. “To have so many top officials simultaneously resigning in disgrace or being charged with serious felonies… is embarrassing for New York.”

In the weeks prior to Adams’ indictment, three members of his administration stepped down. Ex-chief counsel Lisa Zornberg resigned abruptly after claiming she could “no longer effectively serve in [her] position.”

Only one day prior to Zornberg’s resignation, NYPD commissioner Edward Caban stepped down after Federal agents seized his phone and the Adams’ administration urged him to resign. Caban stated that the raids had “created a distraction.”

Less than two weeks later, NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks announced his resignation.

None of these City Hall departures, or others that have followed in the wake of Adams’ indictment, have been linked to the mayor’s alleged crimes, but they have contributed to the public perception that his administration has failed New Yorkers.

In her X post, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, “The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening [government] function.”

Segura also believes that the investigation is hurting the city, and that Adams is “not going to be able to…  focus on our actual needs.” Instead, he argued, Adams’ will be forced to focus on his legal case at the expense of serving the city.

Adams addressed New Yorkers’ unease about his conflicted priorities. “From here my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of the city,” he said. “My day to day will not change. I will continue to do the job for 8.3 million New Yorkers that I was elected to do.”

Adams’ insistence on his capability to serve New York has not swayed many however. A recent Marist Poll showed that 69% of New Yorkers believe Adams should resign. In a poll on The Survey’s Instagram, 97% of students expressed that they feel Adams should resign.

“Personally, I think it’s just a disgrace [that] this is the person leading our city,” said Segura. “[This is] the [person] leading [the city’s youth and] enacting the policies that they will be affected by.”

The mayor could leave office in one of two ways; if he quits, or if Governor Hochul removes him. Hochul announced that she will not be removing Adams for now; a decision that disappointed many New Yorkers.

“I am kind of confused as to why the governor hasn’t impeached him yet,” said Arkhipenko. “[She’s left it to him to handle] but [she] can handle this, [she] can kick him out.”

Some have speculated that Hochul will not remove Adams in order to maintain black votes in her own reelection campaign, or to prevent someone like former governor Andrew Cuomo from running in the special mayoral election that would follow Adams’ dismissal.

If Hochul does decide to remove Adams, or if Adams decides to quit, Tech alumnus and public advocate Jumaane Williams would step in as acting mayor until the special election is held. This would be big news for the Tech community, where 97% of students hope to see Adams gone.