NEW YORK — On the first Sunday since his indictment on federal corruption charges, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is leaning on faith leaders for their support.
The mayor dug in his heels and reaffirmed he is not resigning at two appearances at houses of worship on Sunday.
“So you hear the small number of loud people saying, ‘Well, he should step down.’ No, I’m gonna step up. I’m gonna step up,” Adams told parishioners at Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church in the Bronx.
Later at Mount Sinai United Christian Church on Staten Island, he said, “No one wants to go through this. No one wants to deal with what I am dealing with right now. No one.”
On Sunday, when asked what his message is to those who have been telling him to step down, Adams said, “To watch me.”
He continued, “They’re the same people, January 1, 2022, were saying the same thing, that’s the same list of people, but we have been able to ignore their commentary and say their noise is not going to get in the way of the numbers, and the numbers show we have moved this city forward.”
Parishioners and faith leaders in the Bronx remained neutral on their support for the mayor.
“It’s not a question of supporting him. It’s a question of praying for him as a church,” said Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso, with Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church.
Rev. Al Sharpton was among the faith leaders showing support for Adams during a rally with the National Action Network on Saturday.
“I’ve known Eric Adams 35 years. I’ve never known him to have any leanings toward criminality. He deserves due process,” Sharpton said.
The Sunday Service stops weren’t the mayor’s only visits to houses of worship over the weekend. On Saturday, he visited Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica, Queens, and a gospel music event in the Bronx. The mayor says putting his focus on the church is nothing new.
“I am more in my foundation of my faith than I’ve ever been in my life,” he said.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams prepared to step in as mayor if Adams resigns
Last Thursday, the mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges including bribery and conspiracy. A 57-page indictment alleges he solicited illegal campaign donations from foreign nationals. Adams pleaded not guilty.
Should the mayor step down, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would replace him until a special election is held. That’s something Williams said Sunday that he’s ready to do.
“I ran to be public advocate and so I’m very happy doing that. If something happened for any reason, we’re also prepared to step in to do the job that we were elected to do in all eventualities. But the main message is the continuity of government,” he said.
Adams is expected to appear back in court Wednesday, where his attorney says he will be demanding evidence from the prosecution in addition to asking the judge to throw the case out.
