Embattled New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams (D) confronted a barrage of criticism at a Home Oversight and Accountability Committee listening to with so-called sanctuary metropolis mayors on Wednesday — with a lot of the backlash coming from his fellow Democrats.
Adams, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D), Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) have been the topic of the listening to, throughout which the panel sought to spotlight what Republicans see as one in every of their high points.
The six-hour-long listening to noticed loads of fireworks as Republicans sought to assault the high-profile Democratic mayors on immigration. However Adams was hit with probably the most criticism from members of his personal celebration following a current transfer from the Justice Division to drop federal corruption fees towards him.
“Are you selling out New Yorkers to save yourself from prosecution?” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) requested Adams, referring to allegations that Adams labored to appease the Trump administration on immigration in alternate for getting the fees towards him dropped.
“There’s no deal. There’s no quid pro quo. I did nothing wrong. And anything dealing with this case out of deference to Judge Ho, who’s now addressing it, I’m going to refer to his actions,” Adams responded.
“I personally agree with a majority of New Yorkers and believe that you should resign. You should do the right thing, you should step down and resign today,” Garcia stated.
Adams additionally confronted a grilling from New York lawmakers, together with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D), whose district is situated in New York Metropolis.
The progressive congresswoman requested Adams whether or not he was conscious of a Jan. 31 assembly between his attorneys and federal prosecutors relating to the fees towards him. Adams once more referred to the choose within the case. Ocasio-Cortez responded, saying deference to the choose was “not a permissible excuse for not answering questions during a congressional hearing.”
“I am answering your question directly,” Adams stated.
“You are not Mayor Adams,” Ocasio-Cortez responded.
Adams gave a special response when Rep. Laura Gillen (D), whose district is situated on neighboring Lengthy Island, N.Y., referred to as on him to resign.
“Thank God you don’t live in New York City,” Adams responded.
Adams was initially set to face trial in April on fees of bribery, wire fraud and soliciting unlawful marketing campaign contributions, however a federal choose overseeing the felony case indefinitely delayed the trial as he considers the trouble by the Justice Division to drop the fees.
Former U.S. Lawyer Danielle Sassoon, who resigned after being ordered to drop the fees, stated it amounted to a “quid pro quo” by which the case can be led to alternate for the mayor serving to the Trump administration with its immigration priorities.
Adams appeared to placed on a pleasant entrance with President Trump’s workforce following his election win final 12 months. The Democratic mayor notably appeared with Trump’s boarder czar Tom Homan on “Fox and Friends” final month after Adams agreed to permit federal immigration officers to function at Rikers Island. The moved marked a serious change in New York Metropolis’s insurance policies. The 2 additionally agreed to work collectively to resolve town’s “migrant problem.”
Nevertheless, Adams was not the one mayor to face criticism from lawmakers on the panel through the fiery listening to. Republicans repeatedly hammered the 4 mayors over immigration.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) advised the 4 mayors she’s going to criminally refer them to the Justice Division over Title 8, U.S.C. § 1324, a federal legislation that prohibits bringing in and harboring those that migrated to the U.S. with out authorization.
“I do not think you guys are bad people, but I think you are ideologically misled, which is why unfortunately based on your responses, I’m going to be criminally referring you to the Department of Justice for investigation, and as soon as I leave here, these will be going over to [Attorney General] Pam Bondi,” Luna stated.
Lawmakers on the panel additionally locked horns with one another, together with Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Home Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who received right into a shouting match after Pressley tried to enter articles into the file.
“This trend of you all trying to get thrown out of committee so you can get on MSNBC is going to end. We’re not going to put up with it,” Comer stated, elevating his voice.
“You don’t get to dictate how I recite the articles for the record,” Pressley responded. “I take particular umbrage as a survivor of sexual violence.”
“This is my right. Thank you,” she stated.
Republicans view the difficulty of immigration, notably sanctuary cities, as a successful one following President Trump’s election victory final November. “Sanctuary cities” typically check with municipalities that don’t cooperate with federal detention requests for migrants with out authorized standing.
The Trump administration has taken a very aggressive method to coping with the so-called sanctuary cities. Bondi has already sued Chicago, alleging town has obstructed the federal authorities from imposing immigration legal guidelines. Moreover, Bondi issued a memo final month saying sanctuary cities is not going to have entry to federal funding from the Justice Division.
Homan made headlines final month when he stated he was “bringing hell” to Boston for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Wu referred to as on the committee to carry Homan in to testify on the matter.
“Let’s talk about Tom Homan. Shame on him for lying about my city. For having the nerve to insult our police commissioner who has overseen the safest Boston’s been in anyone’s lifetime,” Wu stated. “Bring him here under oath and lets ask him some questions.”
“I am here to make sure that the city of Boston is safe. Others may want to bring hell. We are here to bring peace to cities everywhere,” she stated.
