The plot has thickened in the ongoing saga of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Eight Black state lawmakers are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul not to remove Adams from his position after the Justice Department decided to drop the corruption charges against him.
The DOJ’s move caught New York Democrats off guard, with many supporting the prosecution effort against the mayor, who has become something of a black sheep (pun intended) in their circles ever since he started criticizing the Biden administration for allowing the border crisis to continue.
Yet, it appears Adams still has some allies. A group of Black lawmakers wrote a letter to Hochul to persuade her not to remove Adams. “At this moment for our city, we want to be crystal clear: we strongly oppose any move to remove Mayor Adams.”
The lawmakers further argued that “as Black legislators we have seen this over and over again: double standards and unfair process when it comes to our leaders.”
The letter states, “If a move against the mayor is made without a justifiable legal reason, our communities will never forget it.”
This, dear reader, is a thinly-veiled way of suggesting that ousting Adams would be viewed as a racist move on Hochul’s part, which happens to be one of the worst things that could happen to a White progressive woman other than running out of boxed wine.
The lawmakers further argued that “There is no constitutional reason we can see why he should be removed from office”. They pointed out that “There is an election in June, and New Yorkers can once again determine their leadership then.”
Eight Black state legislators ask Hochul not to remove Adams - “our communities will never forget it” if she does and she should leave it up to voters.
— Jeff Coltin (@JCColtin) February 19, 2025
Led by Brooklyn Dems leader Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, list also includes lawmakers close to Jeffries and Meeks. pic.twitter.com/gLNhb3apEe
Hochul appears to know she is in tough situation that she will have to suss out after getting over her surprise that eight Black people were able to use a computer to write that letter. On Tuesday, the governor enlisted the aid of Race Baiter Supreme Rev. Al Sharpton to give her some cover as a well-known Black face who is always ready and willing to do the Democratic Party's bidding.
After his meeting with Hochul, Sharpton told reporters that the Trump administration is now “holding the mayor hostage” because now Adams will have to help President Donald Trump with his immigration agenda.
As I explained earlier, Hochul knows it would be a bad look for her, as a White progressive woman, to oust a Black man. So she had to bring in a prominent Black person to provide cover for her even though most Black Americans don’t follow folks like Sharpton. However, if she is going to fend off barbs and accusations of racism from White and Black progressives alike, she has to appear as if she has gotten the approval of African Americans through Sharpton.
It is not clear whether she will choose to remove Adams. But it is clear that Trump has put New York Democrats in a difficult situation, and it is rather entertaining to watch.
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