SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
tiffany caban
'New Yorkers Deserve Better': Mayor Adams Urged to Resign as Feds Unseal Indictment
"Mayor Eric Adams can no longer govern. He has lost the trust of the everyday New Yorkers he was elected to serve," said the New York Working Families Party.
Sep 26, 2024
Update:
Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed a 57-page indictment charging New York City Mayor Eric Adams with wire fraud, bribery, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.
The indictment states that Adams "sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him."
"As Adams' prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash in on their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when, in 2021, it became clear that Adams would become New York City's mayor," the document continues. "Adams agreed, providing favorable treatment in exchange for the illicit benefits he received."
Speaking at a press conference after the indictment was unsealed, Adams called it an "unfortunate" and "painful" day for him but rejected calls to resign and said, "I look forward to defending myself."
"From here my attorneys will take care of the case, so I can take care of the city," Adams said. "My day-to-day will not change. I will continue to do the job for 8.3 million New Yorkers that I was elected to do."
Earlier:
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced mounting calls to resign as federal agents raided his official residence in Manhattan early Thursday morning following news that he was indicted in a corruption probe.
Adams, who was
under federal investigation for allegedly conspiring with the Turkish government in 2021 to receive unlawful campaign donations, said he would fight the indictment, which remained sealed Thursday morning. Adams is now the first sitting New York City mayor to be charged with a federal crime.
News of the federal grand jury indictment sparked a new flurry of calls for Adams' resignation from New York lawmakers and advocacy groups.
"Mayor Eric Adams can no longer govern," the New York Working Families Party said in a statement. "He has lost the trust of the everyday New Yorkers he was elected to serve. Our city deserves a leader we can trust and who is not engulfed in endless scandals."
In an appearance on Democracy Now! Thursday morning, New York City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán said that "New Yorkers deserve better."
"We need somebody who can take this job seriously," Cabán added, "and [Adams] can no longer do that."
Should Adams ultimately resign or be forced out of office, the city's public advocate, Jumaane Williams, would become mayor.
Tiffany Cabán was the first New York City councilmember to call on Mayor Eric Adams to resign as he faces several federal investigations.
"New Yorkers deserve better,” says @tiffany_caban. “We need somebody who can take this job seriously … and he can no longer do that." pic.twitter.com/da9ctlaoxX
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) September 26, 2024
Chi Ossé, also a member of the New York City Council, called Adams—a former police officer—a "corrupt cop" who "needs to resign."
"This started as a corruption probe into his campaign and now half of the leadership is out of commission," Ossé added. "I'm not going to lie, they look guilty."
News of the Adams indictment came three weeks after the FBI raided the homes and seized the phones of top Adams aides.
The New York Timesreported Thursday that "federal prosecutors investigating whether Mayor Eric Adams conspired with the Turkish government to funnel illegal foreign donations into his campaign have recently sought information about interactions with five other countries."
"The demand for information related to the other countries—Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan—was made in expansive grand jury subpoenas issued in July to City Hall, the mayor, and his campaign," the Times noted, citing unnamed people with knowledge of the matter.
Adams attorney Alex Spiro on Thursday accused federal agents of staging a "spectacle" by raiding the mayor's residence.
"He has not been arrested and looks forward to his day in court," said Spiro. "They send a dozen agents to pick up a phone when we would have happily turned it in."
Shortly before news of the indictment broke, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote that she doesn't "see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City."
"The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov[ernment] function," she added. "Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration. For the good of the city, he should resign."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Socialists Propel DA Candidate Tiffany Caban to Historic Win in Queens
Today, the anti-establishment and socialist left in Queens New York appear to have claimed another major upset. Career public defender and DSA member Tiffany Caban appears to have edged out a crowded field of candidates for the District Attorney Democratic primary nomination and proven that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's grassroots success over the Queens Democratic Party machine exactly a year ago was no fluke. NYC-DSA is building a movement of people-powered campaigns that can beat big money.
Jun 26, 2019
Today, the anti-establishment and socialist left in Queens New York appear to have claimed another major upset. Career public defender and DSA member Tiffany Caban appears to have edged out a crowded field of candidates for the District Attorney Democratic primary nomination and proven that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's grassroots success over the Queens Democratic Party machine exactly a year ago was no fluke. NYC-DSA is building a movement of people-powered campaigns that can beat big money. DSA volunteers contributed over 45,000 door knocks to the win, about 40% of total doors.
"Our victory is a people's victory," said Bianca Cunningham, NYC-DSA Co-chair. "It is the result of the hard work of hundreds of dedicated volunteers who came together to fight for systemic change and economic and social justice. We are so proud of all the activists who knocked on tens of thousands of doors, made countless calls and texts, and demanded real, transformative change on behalf of everyday people in Queens. By proving that socialism is a winning platform, we can transform the nation."
Socialist Caban accepted no corporate or real estate donations and rejected traditional "tough on crime" rhetoric in favor of a platform explicitly against mass incarceration. Recognizing that Caban's "people-powered" approach to criminal justice resonated with constituents, most of the other candidates in the race adopted similar positions, such as ending cash bail and closing Rikers Island. But Caban, born in Queens to Puerto Rican parents and identifying as a queer latina, stood out, vowing to end racist law enforcement practices that criminalize poverty, to fight corporate crimes, decriminalize sex work, and prosecute ICE.
"A significant obstacle was that her opponents recognized the popularity of Tiffany's platform and tried to claim the mantle of progressivism themselves," said David Lee, NYC-DSA Member and Caban's Deputy Finance Director. "But voters saw through the charade. You can't be brought up through the machine, cozy with big real estate and take tons of money from wealthy donors and then claim you're an advocate for change and for improving the lives of the working class. We held the powerful to account, forced their inner workings out of the backrooms, and made clear that ignoring structural racism and community harm by law enforcement is unacceptable. I look forward to a Queens where we have decriminalized poverty and are prosecuting harassing landlords."
Keep ReadingShow Less
'Shocking Blow to the Queens Democratic Machine' as Progressive Tiffany Caban Declares Victory in District Attorney Race
"A victory for working people everywhere who are fighting for real political change and demanding we end cash bail, mass incarceration, and the failed war on drugs."
Jun 26, 2019
Overcoming united opposition from New York City's powerful Democratic political machine, 31-year-old progressive public defender Tiffany Caban declared victory in the race for Queens district attorney Tuesday night after running on a platform of decarceration, ending cash bail, decriminalizing sex work, and cracking down on predatory lenders.
"When people come together, we can beat big money in elections. People power is no fluke."
--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
"They said I was too young," Caban declared during her victory party. "They said I didn't look like a district attorney. They said we could not build a movement from the grassroots. They said we could not win."
"But we did it, y'all," said Caban, who is on track to become the first openly queer district attorney of Queens.
While Caban's establishment-backed opponent Melinda Katz--the Queens borough president who benefited from a torrent of campaign cash from the real estate industry--did not concede defeat Tuesday night, Caban's campaign expressed confidence that the remaining ballots will not be enough to swing the election.
As of this writing, Caban is ahead by just over 1,000 votes with 99 percent of precincts reporting. If Caban wins, she is heavily favored to defeat Republican Daniel Kogan in the November general election.
"I am a 31-year-old, queer Latina public defender whose parents grew up in the Woodside Housing projects," Caban said Tuesday night. "And I decided to run. I ran because for too long, too many communities in Queens hadn't had a fair shot in our criminal-justice system."
\u201cNOW: the crowd erupts as @CabanForQueens takes the stage to declare her victory as the new #QueensDA!!!\u201d— Daniel Altschuler \ud83e\udd8b (@Daniel Altschuler \ud83e\udd8b) 1561518878
Caban's apparent primary victory was described as an "earthshaking political upset" and immediately drew comparisons to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) stunning win last year over powerful Wall Street-backed Rep. Joe Crowley.
Crowley, who is now a lobbyist, backed Katz with funds from his campaign committee while Ocasio-Cortez joined other progressive lawmakers and activists in supporting Caban, who used her campaign ads to rail against the "corrupt Queens political machine" that "get[s] rich off foreclosures."
"When people come together, we can beat big money in elections," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted after Caban declared victory just before midnight Tuesday. "People power is no fluke."
\u201cI am so incredibly proud of @CabanForQueens - and EVERY single person who showed up for this election today.\n\nNo matter how this ends, you all have stunned NY politics tonight.\n\nWhen people come together, we can beat big money in elections. People power is no fluke.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1561516039
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who also endorsed Caban, celebrated the progressive public defender's apparent win as "a victory for working people everywhere who are fighting for real political change and demanding we end cash bail, mass incarceration, and the failed war on drugs."
"Tiffany Caban took on virtually the entire political establishment," Sanders tweeted, "and built a grassroots movement."
"We built a campaign to reduce recidivism. Decriminalize poverty. End mass incarceration. To protect our immigrant communities. Keep people rooted in their communities with the access to support and services."
--Tiffany Caban
Writing for The Nation, New York-based journalist Ross Barkan called Caban's victory over an opponent who had overwhelming establishment support "another shocking blow to the Queens Democratic machine."
"Caban's startling performance may not only redefine criminal justice reform but also New York's once-ossified, hierarchical political scene," Barkan wrote. "Bold leftists are ascendant, with groups like the Democratic Socialists of America evolving from a curiosity to a preeminent vote-getting force in the city."
"Caban campaigned as a 'decarceral' prosecutor, promising to oppose the construction of new jails, end cash bail, decriminalize sex work, and put far fewer people in prison," Barkan continued. "Two prominent progressive prosecutors, Philadelphia's Larry Krasner and Boston's Rachael Rollins, backed Caban, signaling that New York could join both cities as a leader in a movement that has sought to undo the damage of mass incarceration."
In a series of tweets Tuesday night, Caban said she is prepared to fight for transformative change to the criminal justice system as the top prosecutor of Queens, a borough with a population of over two million people.
"We built a campaign to reduce recidivism. Decriminalize poverty. End mass incarceration. To protect our immigrant communities. Keep people rooted in their communities with the access to support and services," Caban wrote. "Transforming this system will not be easy, and it will not happen overnight. But I am ready. We are ready."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular