Three years ago, Eric Adams, then a rising star in the Democratic Party, would have been the main attraction at an event like this: a Democratic fundraiser packed with political stars at the famed Junior’s restaurant in Brooklyn, the borough where Mr. Adams made his mark on politics.
But as his administration appears to be in freefall, his stature — and even his appearance at Monday’s fundraiser — is being called into question.
Last week, two prominent New York City officials resigned as federal investigations swirled around Mayor Adams and his inner circle, raising doubts about his political future and his ability to focus on his agenda.
Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban resigned Thursday at the request of the mayor; Lisa Zornberg, the mayor’s top legal adviser, resigned abruptly Saturday, largely out of frustration with the mayor’s refusal to follow her advice on personnel matters, according to a person familiar with her decision.
New Yorkers could learn in the coming days whether other officials might leave his administration in an effort to distance themselves from the scandal or be asked to leave; whether other elected officials will ask Mr. Adams to resign; and whether investigations progress or new allegations emerge.
On Sunday, Mr. Adams made his first in-person public appearance since testing positive for Covid last week, marching in Manhattan’s African American Day parade. In the evening, he visited a police officer who was shot in a Brooklyn subway station with his new acting police commissioner, Thomas Donlon. They held a news conference at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn.
On Monday morning, Mr. Adams was scheduled to attend the Brooklyn Democratic Party’s fundraiser at Junior’s. Other New York Democratic leaders named in the invitation included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The event, which cost $1,000 per ticket, was billed as a “Bringing Home the Election Victory” breakfast in support of Kamala Harris, congressional candidates and state lawmakers running in November.
If Mr. Adams runs, it remains to be seen whether his fellow Democrats will seek to keep him at arm’s length. Rep. Emily Gallagher and Sen. Julia Salazar on Friday became the first two statewide elected officials to call for Mr. Adams’s resignation.
Chris Coffey, a Democratic political strategist, said the mayor will try to move past the bad news but may need to make other changes to his administration to restore public trust.
“I expect him to go to protests and reassure people that crime is moving in the right direction,” he said. “If the situation is more serious and they are expecting bad news, then they will have to show them that they are taking it seriously.”
The mayor’s opponents in the Democratic primary next June have seized on the surveys to argue that Mr. Adams is untrustworthy. City Auditor Brad Lander, who is running for mayor, has called for “real management reforms and public integrity protections” in the police department and City Hall.
On Sunday, Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn senator running for mayor, spoke at First Baptist Church in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the heart of the mayor’s political base, and made an impassioned plea for “our leaders to be people of integrity.” He compared Mr. Adams to a tree with rotten fruit.
“As I explore a new role in public service, we are going to be faced with a choice: there are trees that look good, they are big, they are beautiful, but the fruit is rotten,” he said.
Late last week, a fourth leading Democrat, State Senator Jessica Ramos, joined Mr. Lander, Mr. Myrie and Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller, in a growing field of mayoral candidates seeking to prevent Mr. Adams from winning a second term next year.
While Mr. Adams may be eager to move on after the investigations, some have called on him to fire other officials under investigation, including Timothy Pearson, his longtime friend and adviser, and Philip Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety.
Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University, said Mr. Adams was unlikely to oust Mr. Pearson or Mr. Banks.
“Often the mayor doubles down on his loyalty – that may very well be his biggest mistake as mayor of New York,” she said.
Mr. Adams will try to show that he has the situation under control and remind New Yorkers that he has not been charged with any crime, she said, even though there is so much smoke that “it would make me very uncomfortable if I were in the building.”
Indeed, the mayor seems determined to stick to his oft-repeated mantra: stay focused, avoid distractions and work hard.
The mayor’s office said Adams plans to appoint a new adviser in the coming days. And on Wednesday, the mayor is expected to tackle one of his biggest issues as the city hosts the first National Urban Rat Summit.
