Tuesday, October 9, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 6
New York City Mayor Eric Adams insists he’s innocent of the bribery and campaign-finance charges that federal prosecutors brought against him last month. As a citizen, he has a right to make his case in court. As an elected official, he has an obligation to convince the public he’s still worthy of their trust. He’s not off to a good start.
As news of the indictment broke, Adams tried to dismiss the case by peddling a baseless conspiracy theory: that his criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border had made him “a target.” After the Justice Department released the indictment, he held a defiant news conference that was more like a rally with his most loyal supporters. “This is all part of the process,” he said at a later event, after appearing in court. “My attorney will handle it.”
A poll released Friday suggests that’s not going to cut it. A staggering 69% of New Yorkers, including 71% of Democrats, say the mayor should resign. If he’s going to remain in office, as he says he will, he needs to offer a plausible explanation of his conduct.
Prosecutors say Adams, beginning when he was Brooklyn borough president, accepted free air travel and luxury accommodations from the government of Turkey — and did favors in return. Well, only one favor: The entirety of the bribery charge appears to be based on an allegation that Adams pressured the city fire department to allow a new Turkish consulate building to open without first passing an inspection.
It’s fair to ask: Have ethical standards in government risen so high that such a small request would warrant a sprawling federal bribery prosecution? New York City has a centuries-long history of political corruption, and in the annals of its quid pro quos, this one hardly seems like the most consequential. (Somewhere, Boss Tweed is laughing.)
Even so, the accusation that Adams accepted lavish freebies is a serious matter. If, as prosecutors allege, the mayor received more than $100,000 in benefits — or even a fraction of that amount — he should commit to paying back anything he obtained improperly.
If Adams acknowledges lapses in judgment and accepts accountability for them — he can maintain his innocence and still do so — he could well survive in the court of public opinion. But if he digs in and doubles down on his conspiracy theory, voters will likely conclude that he’s no longer worthy of their trust.
Even more seriously, prosecutors allege that Adams engaged in schemes to solicit and disguise illegal foreign campaign contributions and submit them for public matching funds, defrauding taxpayers. Again, if there’s an innocent explanation, the public needs to hear it.
If the feds leaped to the wrong conclusions, as Adams claims, he shouldn’t wait for his day in court to explain himself. Citizens deserve a full and honest accounting from the mayor.
The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs/©2024 Bloomberg
