(New York) Management of the migration crisis, accusations of corruption and sexual assault, sweeping remarks: New York Mayor Eric Adams, a strong-willed former African-American police officer, is in turmoil unless two years from possible re-election.
Posted at 11:07 p.m.
Gregory WALTON
Agence France-Presse
At the head since January 1, 2022 of the mythical world city of 8.5 million souls, Mr. Adams, 63, who flirted with delinquency in his youth before becoming an anti-racist police unionist, police captain and elected from the Democratic Party, is faced with a succession of crises which are weighing down his popularity.
The most thorny is a federal corruption investigation into the financing of his 2021 election campaign, possibly involving Turkey.
In November, federal police (FBI) seized the mayor’s cell phones and electronic devices and searched the home of a young fundraising manager to look for evidence of a possible plot between his campaign, Ankara and a real estate developer from the Brooklyn borough linked to Turks.
The mayor’s lawyers assure that he is cooperating with the investigation.
But his rivals within the Democratic Party, such as the ousted former governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, who fell at the end of 2021 on accusations of sexual harassment, have indicated that he could compete with Mr. Adams for the municipal election of November 4, 2025, according to the newspaper Politico.
28% popularity
It must be said that his popularity rate has fallen to 28% among New York voters.
But “history teaches us that the mayor, Mr. Adams, can bounce back,” puts pollster Mary Snow into perspective with AFP. She cites as proof “former mayor Michael Bloomberg, with 31% favorable opinions in 2003 and who served two more terms”.
But Eric Adams does not currently display any national ambition.
Elected on the fight against insecurity, the former police officer, from the right wing of the Democratic Party, is grappling with a serious migration crisis. Of such magnitude that it risks “destroying” New York, the cultural, economic and tourist hub of the United States, “a victim of its own success”, launched Mr. Adams.
PHOTO ANNA WATTS, ARCHIVES THE NEW YORK TIMES
Migrants get off a bus in New York, after traveling from Texas.
Its municipality estimates that since April 2022, more than 165,000 migrants and asylum seekers – from Latin America and West Africa – have passed through this incredible multicultural mosaic built over centuries thanks to waves of immigration.
The mayor is doing everything to curb the influx of undocumented foreigners, even if it means annoying his Democratic camp, and is taking part in the national political battle over immigration in the United States, before the November presidential election.
Mr. Adams is therefore seeking $708 million in court from coach companies chartered since 2022 by southern Republican states like Texas which send migrants to northern Democratic megacities, like New York.
Adams “killed” politically
For Columbia University professor Robert Shapiro, “this issue (of immigration) and (that of) the corruption of his campaign can kill him” politically.
Post-COVID-19 mayor of a city on its knees in 2020-2021 and former high-ranking officer of the powerful New York police force, Eric Adams helped in part to reduce crime figures that had soared during the pandemic.
But under his mandate, the cost of living, housing and food has exploded in a city with crazy socio-economic inequalities and infrastructure, particularly transport, often in poor condition.
Since November, the second African-American to lead New York has also been the target of a civil complaint for sexual assault of a woman in 1993, which he “vigorously” denies. The plaintiff is demanding a trial and five million dollars in damages.
Born and raised in a poor single-parent New York family, Mr. Adams chose the police after being a trainee delinquent and victim of police violence.
He was elected locally and then “president” (mayor) of Brooklyn. Elected in November 2021 at the head of New York, he appeared on the night of January 1, 2022 in Times Square brandishing a portrait of his deceased mother.
He is also accustomed to gaffes and sweeping declarations, such as in December regarding the attacks of September 11, 2001: “Anything” can happen in “the best city on the planet,” including “a plane that crashes.” crashes into the (World) Trade Center.”
“It’s a very, very complicated city,” he added.
2024-01-30 04:07:54
#midterm #mayor #York #turmoil
