Most New York City residents want indicted Mayor Eric Adams to resign: poll

With New York City Mayor Eric Adams under federal indictment for corruption, most residents of the Big Apple want to see him go, according to a new Marist poll.

A majority of city residents, 69%, say the mayor should resign from office after prosecutors accused him of accepting bribes and soliciting illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals. Adams, a former cop, could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges. 

There is no good news for the mayor in the survey findings. Though the Democratic mayor has resisted calls to resign, 71% of New York City Democrats think he should step down, according to the survey. Only 30% of city residents said he should serve out the remainder of his term, while 2% were unsure.

The survey of New York City adults was conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. 

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives at the federal court after being charged with bribery and illegally soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national, in New York City, U.S., October 2, 2024.  (REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs)

If Adams refuses to resign, 63% of survey respondents say Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul should take action to remove the mayor. A 65% majority of residents, including 68% Democrats, think Adams did something illegal. Another 24% think the mayor did something unethical but not illegal.

“It’s hard to imagine how Mayor Adams could be faring any worse in the court of public opinion,” says Dr. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. “Not only do New York City residents think he has done something illegal, but they think he should resign or have Governor Hochul start the process of removing him from office.”

The mayor’s job approval rating is underwater at 26%, with 74% saying they disapprove. The vast majority of New York City residents, 81%, say Adams should not run for re-election, according to the poll.

Adams was in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday for a hearing in his corruption case. The mayor’s defense lawyers have asked the court to toss at least one charge and punish the government for leaks of confidential information.

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Hagan Scotten, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Alex Spiro, attorney for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Adams attend a court appearance in federal court after Adams was charged with bribery and illegally soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national, in New York City, U.S., October 2, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.  (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

Prosecutors said it is “quite likely” that additional charges will be filed — against additional defendants and possibly in new cases. The investigation is ongoing, they said. But the defense scored a minor win, demanding the Justice Department file quick replies to motions filed earlier this week as the mayor is standing by his right to a speedy trial. The presiding judge gave prosecutors an Oct. 18 deadline to do so.

Adams is accused of turning unlawful bribes and campaign contributions around to rack up taxpayer cash in the form of “matching” grants that pay out $8 to 1.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives at the federal court after being charged with bribery and illegally soliciting a campaign contribution from foreign nationals, in New York City, U.S., October 2, 2024.  (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is alleging that Adams used his position in government to obtain benefits like luxury travel and fine dining from wealthy business leaders, including at least one Turkish government official. 

In exchange, Adams allegedly provided favors, including helping Turkey get fire department approvals to open a new diplomatic high-rise in Manhattan despite concerns about fire safety. Adams’ defense has countered that he had no authority over the Manhattan building at the time, when he was Brooklyn’s borough president, and therefore could not and did not provide the alleged “official act” required to prove the case against him.

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Adams has described the investigation as retaliation for his criticism of the Biden-Harris administration’s border policy.

The mayor previously blamed the White House for a migrant crisis in New York City that overwhelmed its shelter system. The influx of illegal immigrants coincided with a spike in robberies in the Big Apple, city police said earlier this year.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.