Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said on Wednesday that Mayor Eric Adams should resign amid intensifying federal corruption investigations — becoming the most high-profile Democrat, and first member of Congress, to call on the mayor to step down.
Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive who has criticized Adams over city budget cuts and policing, said she did not see how he could “continue governing” and that the “flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening” the function of government.
“Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration,” she said on X. “For the good of the city, he should resign.”
Ocasio-Cortez initially provided the statement to the New York Times, which first reported the news.
Adams is being increasingly questioned about his ability to lead the city in the face of at least four separate federal investigations into his 2021 campaign fundraising and members of his administration. The probes have resulted in a flurry of subpoenas and search warrants that have created a growing crisis at City Hall.
Schools Chancellor David Banks on Tuesday became the latest top official to announce he would leave the administration. Earlier this month, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and the mayor’s chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, both abruptly stepped down. The city’s health commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, said on Monday that he planned to resign by early next year.
Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, joins a small group of left-leaning elected officials who have recently called on Adams to resign. They include City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán and state Senator Gustavo Rivera.
In a perhaps more worrying sign for the mayor, state Senator John Liu on Tuesday issued a statement critical of Adams after news broke that Banks planned to retire at the end of the year.
Liu, a mainstream Democrat who endorsed Adams during the general election in 2021, said the schools chancellor’s resignation came at the “worst possible time.” He added that the “sudden and unexpected announcement raises questions about the continued viability of this mayoralty.”
Adams’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. He has said he does not intend to resign.
On Tuesday, when asked where he saw himself a year from now, the mayor replied, “I see myself again raising my right hand, being called the mayor of the City of New York.”
