New York City Mayor Eric Adams' primary challengers react to dismissal of corruption charges
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The dismissal of the corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday comes just a day before the deadline for mayoral candidates to file to be on the ballot.
Now the question remains is if this decision will breathe new life into Eric Adams' reelection campaign.
The dark cloud of federal charges hanging over Adams' head for the last several months has been lifted, but the case and circumstance surrounding its dismissal will still be prosecuted on the campaign trail by his opponents.
Adams has denied from the very beginning that he did anything improper and insisted all along that the federal bribery case was politically motivated and payback by the Biden administration for criticizing Biden's border policies that left New York City with a migrant crisis and a bill for billions of dollars.
"I'm now happy that our city can finally close the book on this and focus solely on the future of our great city," Adams said.
The judge was clear that we will not know whether Adams was innocent or guilty -- a jury never got to make that decision -- but even his opponents support the judge's decision.
"I want to praise Judge Dale Ho, I think we are starting to see the people who stand up with courage in the face of Trump's authoritarianism," said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. "A dismissal with prejudice is far superior to one without prejudice, one that would leave our mayor dangling on a string every day, I have no idea what Eric Adams will do."
State Sen. Zellmor Myrie released the following statement:
"This is the right move by Judge Ho. But no court decision will make New Yorkers forget that when push came to shove, Eric Adams put his own needs above the city."
Former Comptroller Scott Stringer said that the mayor's legal trouble may be behind him, but his political ones are not, "Now, the mayor has to make a decision on if he is going to run in the Democratic primary. If he is, then he has an obligation to join the rest of the candidates on the campaign trail to start facing tough questions-and I hope he can drag Andrew Cuomo out of the shadows with him."
And State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, who has recently made significant gains in the polls, also spoke out, saying that he believes Adams "sold out New Yorkers and put himself above the public at every chance he could."
"Even the judge in the case agrees: this slimy deal reeks of a quid pro quo with the Trump administration," Mamdani said.
"Regardless of the decision today, this has been a distraction for many months, it has caused trauma to the people of the city, it has caused a lot of embarrassment for the people of the city, it will be something that the mayor is going to have to come out of and fix," said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos said hopes this means that "Adams will spend the short remainder of his term focused on representing New Yorkers, instead of pandering to Trump."
ALSO WATCH | Attorney for Mayor Adams speaks out after corruption charges dismissed
Once a close ally of Adams, Andrew Cuomo is the strongest contender in the Democratic primary. The former governor was silent on the dismissal of the indictment.
"And it means this was the worst day that Andrew Cuomo has had, probably since he was forced to leave office," said political analyst Hank Sheinkopf.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who would be next in line to be acting mayor, released a statement saying, "The mayor was always entitled to his day in court, instead, he's used his power and privilege to sidestep the process. We will soon find out if his refusal to stand up to Donald Trump was because he was afraid, or because he agreed with him."
Williams went on to question how New Yorkers can believe that Adams won't continue to put his "own interests above the best interests" of the city.
Adams is now expected to become more visible on the campaign trail. While recent fundraising efforts have fallen short, he still has more than $4 million that was raised prior to his indictment in the coffers.
"The mayor has to make a decision whether he runs as an independent in the fall or whether he enters into any of the other camps, any other primaries, and that's a tough decision to make," Sheinkopf said.
Most voters who spoke to Eyewitness News say the mayor's corruption case did affect their perception of him, and it should have had its day in court.
"I think he should be prosecuted for what he did," said New York City voter Carlos Vargas. "I don't think he's special just because he's the mayor of the city. He should be charged the same way I'd be charged if I did something wrong."
Others think he may have been exonerated anyway and could still win.
"The charges levied against Mayor Adams are no different than charges levied against many other politicians who have beat said charges," said a voter named Eddie. "Why the big hub bub? I mean it's like, let's see who's in the running when it comes to the mayoral race. I put my chips on Adams."
Attorney Michael Bachner explains Judge Ho's decision:
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