Opinion: NYC Mayor Adams should step down. He owes it to us.

Correction & clarification: A prior version of this column misstated a couple of details from the indictment and some Democrats’ positions on New York Mayor Eric Adams.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on five federal charges, including bribery, fraud and soliciting foreign campaign donations. He’s the first mayor in the city’s history to be indicted while still in office.
In a 57-page indictment, which was unsealed Thursday, the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York accuses Adams of receiving travel benefits to foreign countries valued at more than $100,000 dating back to 2014, when he was still Brooklyn borough president. When campaigning for mayor in 2021, he allegedly solicited foreign campaign contributions, including Turkey.
“Federal law clearly prohibits foreign donations,” Damian Williams, the top prosecutor on the case, said at a Thursday news conference. “That is how we protect our elections from foreign influence.”
The indictment also accuses Adams of pressuring the fire department to approve the Turkish Consulate in Manhattan despite safety concerns and using “straw donations” to conceal illegal contributions and take $10 million of public funds. The mayor called the charges “entirely false” in a video posted Wednesday night.
“I always knew that If I stood my ground for all of you that I would be a target – and a target I became,” Adams said.
Now, the question is whether Adams will resign, be ousted from office by Gov. Kathy Hochul or remain in office. If he truly cares about New York, the only option is to step down. In a time of national political uncertainty, the city deserves stability. Currently, Adams cannot provide that as he fights the allegations.
The indictment came after four officials in the Adams administration resigned amid the investigation.
This week, NYC Public Schools Chancellor David Banks announced he would be resigning at the end of the year after having his phones confiscated in connection with the FBI investigation. Earlier this month, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban had his home raided and resigned a week after his mobile phone was confiscated in the corruption probe. The health commissioner and Adams’ chief counsel also resigned this month.
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This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Adams or his confidantes undergo FBI searches. In November, the FBI seized the mayor’s electronic devices.
That same month, agents raided the home of one of his top fundraisers.
New York City is where I live and work, alongside 8.8 million neighbors. While most of our day-to-day lives will not be affected by the Adams investigation, the shake-ups in his administration and indictments against him are cause for concern. We deserve a city free of corruption and instability. While Adams and his administration are being investigated, he can’t provide that stability.
I’m not the only one who thinks Adams should resign. City council members have said he should step down, as have numerous state assembly members and senators.
One of the most prominent Democrats to call on Adams’ resignation is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a longtime critic of the mayor.
“The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening government function,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement to The New York Times before the indictment. “Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.”
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There are more prominent New York Democrats who could put pressure on Adams to resign – which may be a smart move, considering it’s an election year. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have expressed concern but have stopped short of calling for the mayor to step down.
Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams, said she is weighing a decision. The best thing, however, would be for him to step down on his own accord.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. This does not change the fact that the indictments and impending legal battle Adams is up against will distract from the duties of his office. Nor does it change that his entire administration seems to be falling apart, with the recent resignations.
“No one is running our city right now,” councilmember Chi Ossé said in a video. “Our schools, health care, police and more have no leadership.”
Ossé is right: New Yorkers deserve an administration free from turmoil. The only way to achieve that is for Adams to leave office.
Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno