Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday called for New York City Mayor Eric Adams to “be removed” from his position if he refuses voluntarily stepping down after the Justice Department’s order for his corruption charges to be dropped prompted the resignations of several federal prosecutors.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi dated Wednesday, Manhattan U.S. attorney Danielle Sassoon said last month she attended a meeting during which Adams’ legal team “repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo” with Trump administration officials, requesting their client’s indictment be dismissed in exchange for him assisting with federal immigration enforcement. Adams’ legal team has denied Sassoon’s allegations.
Ocasio-Cortez described Sassoon’s letter as “explosive.”
“As long as Trump wields this leverage over Adams, the city is endangered,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We cannot be governed under coercion.”
“If Adams won’t resign, he must be removed,” she continued.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), the only official with the power to effectively fire Adams, said she hasn’t made her mind up on the issue.
“This just happened, I need some time to process this and figure out the right approach,” she told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Thursday evening.
Following Sassoon’s resignation, Adams’ case was transferred to the unit overseeing public integrity divisions at the DOJ, prompting the resignations of the two leaders of that team. Three other lawyers from that division also resigned shortly after, according to The New York Times.
Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, on Monday ordered federal Manhattan prosecutors to dismiss the case against Adams, claiming the “pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime.”
Adams praised the department’s decision without referencing Donald Trump’s name.
“I thank the Justice Department for its honesty,” Adams said. “Now we can put this cruel episode behind us and focus entirely on the future of our city.”