New York State Senate Leader: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Should ‘Move Aside’

'We really are spending more time on the mayor in his plight. It's distracting, and we have a job to do.'

Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester), New York state Senate Majority Leader, is urging New York City Mayor Eric Adams to resign amid his corruption scandal.

“It’s probably time that he move aside,” she told the New York Post at a political conference over President’s Day weekend. “We really are spending more time on the mayor in his plight. It’s distracting, and we have a job to do. We’re in the middle of a budget.”

Adams has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks as his corruption case implodes. The U.S. Department of Justice has called for federal prosecutors in New York to drop the charges against the infamous city official so that Adams, who was elected as a Democrat, could fulfill the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

While prosecutors resigned before dropping the case, they condemned Adams for the “quid pro quo” agreement to carry out this agenda. Despite this, Adams met with Trump’s ‘border czar’ Tom Homan, stating his intentions to bring ICE agents back to Rikers Island.

While the federal government takes measures to ensure Adams can stay in power, other several state senators have encouraged Adams to step down.

Adams pled not guilty to charges that he took over $123,0000 in bribes to open a Turkish consulate in Manhattan, which has led to several high-ranking members of his administration to step down.

“The mayor has been clear, he’s not stepping down, he’s stepping up,” Adams’ spokesperson, Fabien Levy, toldThe Post. “As he said yesterday, we must put this difficult episode behind us so that trust can be restored, New York can move forward, and we can continue delivering for the people of this city.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has the ability to remove Adams if she chooses. “I would certainly support the governor looking at her options seriously,” Stewart-Cousins said.

In the meantime, U.S. prosecutors in D.C. have begun steps to dismiss the charges against Adams.