The fallout from New York City Mayor Eric Adam’s stunning indictment on fraud and bribery charges continued to reverberate Thursday when a top Republican in Congress seized the opportunity to link Democrats as a whole to the “cult of corruption rampant in the New York Democratic Party.”
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) vowed that Democrats would pay at the ballot box this November in an attack less than 24 hours after news of Adams’ indictment broke. The sharp rebuke from Stefanik served as a preview of how New York Republicans plan to leverage the mayor’s legal troubles against other Democrats with less than six weeks to go until Election Day, Politico reported.
“This is the culmination of the cult of corruption rampant in the New York Democrat Party,” Stefanik said in a statement. “From the former disgraced Governor Cuomo and his sycophant henchmen to the Communist Chinese who have infiltrated Kathy Hochul, the least popular NY Governor in history, to now Eric Adams.”
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Stefanik added that Adams should “of course” resign. While other state politicians including Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velazquez have called for Adams to step down, few other Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation have followed suit, according to Politico. “No one is above the law, including the Mayor of New York City. The charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Adams’ indictment, unsealed Thursday, described a pattern of misconduct dating back to his days as Brooklyn borough president, according to reports. Adams has insisted he would not resign.
Stefanik has remained a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump as both parties fight for control of Congress. She wrote Thursday on Twitter that “failed open border czar Kamala Harris is ABSOLUTELY to blame for the invasion of illegal immigrants who have destroyed property and overrun our communities right here in our district.”
“We must return to President @realDonaldTrump’s secure border policies NOW!”