With Eric Adams refusing to resign, who is calling for him to be removed from office?

After Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges in September, dozens of elected officials called for his resignation. But the mayor refused to step down and largely weathered the storm, partly by ditching his most controversial aides.

When the U.S. Department of Justice ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to drop the corruption case against Adams nearly five months later, Adams treated it as vindication – but calls for his resignation only grew louder as his opponents suggested that he had cut a corrupt deal with President Donald Trump.

On Feb. 13, interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon resigned her post rather than comply with the DOJ’s instruction to drop the charges. In a bombshell letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Sassoon wrote that federal prosecutors had been preparing to bring additional charges against Adams for allegedly destroying evidence and instructing witnesses to lie to the FBI. She also claimed that “Adams’ attorneys repeatedly urged what amounted to a quid pro quo,” agreeing to cooperate with the president’s immigration enforcement agenda only if the criminal charges against him were dropped.

In the aftermath of Sassoon’s shocking resignation, even more New York elected officials – including, for the first time, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado – called for Adams’ resignation. Some went even further, calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to use her powers under the city charter and state constitution to remove Adams from office. Others have called on Adams to be removed, but stopped short of calling the governor out explicitly. Adams could also theoretically be removed by a so-called “inability committee” at the city level, which would consist of City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, city Comptroller Brad Lander (who himself is running for mayor), city Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and a deputy mayor.

Prior to Sassoon’s resignation, the governor repeatedly said that she did not feel comfortable removing a democratically-elected mayor, especially since New York City voters will have the chance to pick a new Democratic nominee for mayor in June. Following Sassoon’s resignation, though, the governor was more noncommittal when asked about removing Adams. “The allegations are extremely concerning and serious, but I cannot, as the governor of this state, have a knee-jerk, politically motivated reaction, like a lot of people are saying right now,” Hochul said during an MSNBC appearance on Feb. 13. “I have to do it smart, what’s right, and I’m consulting with other leaders in government at this time.”

Since the DOJ moved to drop the charges, one congressional representative, ten state legislators and two City Council members have publicly called for Adams to be removed from office. Check out the full list below. This article was last updated on Feb. 14, 2025. 

CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The progressive standard-bearer said that Adams should be removed from office since he has refused to resign. “Adams must be removed. The city cannot sustain being governed for nearly a year by a Mayor who is being coerced by Trump admin in order to escape charges. This corruption poses a real threat to the people of the city. He should have resigned a while ago, but will not. So it’s time for him to go,” she wrote in a post on Bluesky on Feb. 13. 

STATE SENATORS

Michael Gianaris: The state Senate majority leader called for Adams to be removed from office if he does not voluntarily resign. “The last thing the people of New York want is for our city to turn into an annex of the Trump administration, yet that's exactly what is happening. Eric Adams is clearly compromised and can no longer be considered the legitimate leader of our city. He must step down or be removed,” Gianaris wrote in a post on X on Feb. 14.

Jessica Ramos: “Today's news made it clear that Mayor Adams now works for Donald Trump, not New Yorkers. So much of Trump's agenda would hurt New Yorkers. We won't be safe until Gov. Hochul uses her power to remove Eric Adams from office. We like puppets on Sesame Street, not City Hall,” the progressive state senator and mayoral candidate wrote in a post on X on Feb. 13.

Jabari Brisport: In a post on X on Feb. 13, the socialist state senator updated his call from September for Adams’ to resign: “Eric Adams should resign or be removed.” 

Julia Salazar: “My position on the mayor continuing to hold public office hasn't changed since calling for him to step down in September. Mayor Adams should resign. If he won't, he should lawfully be removed from office,” the socialist state senator wrote in a post on X on Feb. 14.

John Liu: “Governor, if the mayor will not see the light and step down on his own, we need you!” the progressive state senator said during a rally outside City Hall on Feb. 14. “We need you, Madame Governor, to come to the defense of your constituents, our New Yorkers, our neighbors, our friends, to protect this global city. … So Madame Governor, please help us, we need you at this time.” A spokesperson for Liu later confirmed to City & State that he is calling on Hochul to use her power to remove Adams if he does not resign.

Kristen Gonzalez: “I want to be so incredibly clear: Mayor Adams, you must resign!” the socialist state senator said during a rally outside City Hall on Feb. 14. “If you will not do what’s right, if you will not put the needs of New Yorkers ahead of your own, then you need to be removed.”

ASSEMBLY MEMBERS:

Zohran Mamdani: The socialist Assembly member and mayoral candidate got right to the point in a post on Bluesky on Feb. 13: “Governor Hochul should remove Eric Adams from office.”

Claire Valdez: “New York City is not safe with Eric Adams as mayor. He should resign or be removed from office,” the socialist Assembly member wrote in a post on Bluesky on Feb. 13. 

Sarahana Shrestha: The socialist Assembly member promoted Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado’s call Adams to resign and suggested that Hochul should remove him if he did not. “I agree with the Lt. Governor. Eric Adams should resign or be removed,” Shrestha wrote in a post on Bluesky on Feb. 13. 

Emily Gallagher: “NYers deserve better. If he won’t step down, he should be removed,” the socialist Assembly member wrote of Adams in a post on Bluesky on Feb. 13.

BOROUGH PRESIDENTS

Antonio Reynoso: “It's very simple: Mayor Adams has put this city and all of our people in jeopardy to save himself. Governor Hochul must end this chaos and remove Eric Adams – now,” the Brooklyn borough president wrote in a post on X on Feb. 14.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Tiffany Cabán: The socialist City Council member called on Hochul to remove Adams and added that if the governor does not do so, then the Committee on Mayoral Inability should convene and remove him from office. “Haven’t we seen enough? Corrupt & compromised. This Mayor needs to be removed. It’s past time for Governor Hochul to step in here. And if she won’t, the city’s Committee on Mayoral Inability should. Enough is enough. New York deserve better & shouldn’t have to wait any longer,” Cabán wrote in a post on Bluesky on Feb. 13.

Shahana Hanif: The progressive state senator called on Adams to be removed following his appearance on Fox & Friends alongside Trump’s border czar Tom Homan. “If it wasn’t clear four months ago, it’s undeniable now. Mayor Adams is unfit to lead. He’s acting as an extension of the Trump administration’s attacks. As NYC’s Mayor, he should prioritize the needs of the people. It’s time for him to resign, & if he won’t, he must be removed,” Hanif wrote in a post on X on Feb. 14.

OTHERS

Whitney Tilson: In a post on X on Feb. 13, the Democratic donor-turned-mayoral candidate referenced the recent claims that Sassoon had made and called for Hochul to remove him from office: “It is time for @GovKathyHochul to remove @ericadamsfornyc from office. Today's bombshell release from the former US Attorney exposes a shocking level of criminality. When you take the oath of office, you swear to serve the people of New York City. It's clear that Eric Adams is hopelessly compromised and should not serve another day as mayor.”

Michael Blake: The mayoral candidate and former Assembly member – who has taken to referring to Adams as “Vice President Eric Adams” to emphasize the mayor’s alignment with President Donald Trump – created a Change.org petition calling on Hochul to remove Adams from office. “Vice President Eric Adams is a compromised asset who embodies Corruption. Eric has to go! Sign our petition,” Blake wrote in a Feb. 13 post on X.