WASHINGTON – Some members of the Democratic Party are concerned that the corruption allegations against New York Mayor Eric Adams might negatively affect Vice President Kamala Harris in the closely contested presidential campaign, as well as jeopardize the party’s chances of gaining control in the House of Representatives.

Anxiety spiked after Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges last Thursday and chose not to step down, alleging that he is the target of a White House conspiracy.

“He’s innocent until proven guilty, but I don’t buy into the idea that he’s being pursued by the Biden-Harris administration,” remarked Rev. Al Sharpton, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, during an interview with YSL News. “That’s nonsense.”

The beleaguered mayor asserts that he is being unfairly targeted by federal authorities due to his criticism of the financial burden caused by accommodating 210,000 asylum seekers from the southern border.

Six Democratic leaders, including current and former officials and consultants, expressed their concern that Adams’ claims might be detrimental to Harris’s standing in key states, especially as immigration remains a topic where former President Donald Trump currently leads her in polls.

With Trump now backing Adams’ accusations of persecution by the White House, strategists fear that the mayor’s refusal to resign could illustrate Democratic mismanagement just weeks before the elections, potentially harming their chances of regaining control of the House.

Currently, the Republicans hold an eight-seat majority in the House, which includes three vacancies in Democratic districts. If the Democrats succeed, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would be the first Black speaker.

The situation surrounding Adams has left Democrats feeling uneasy about their chances in suburban districts outside New York City, as noted by Hank Sheinkopf, a seasoned New York political consultant.

At a press conference following his indictment, surrounded by clergy but lacking the support of Democratic leaders, Adams stated: “We should question the federal prosecutors about who gave the directive or order.”

“I’m uncertain,” he added. “You should ask them about who issued the directive.”

Donald Trump comments

Former President Donald Trump swiftly came to Adams’ defense, suggesting that he had foreseen the legal troubles the mayor is now facing.

“I said, ‘You know what? He’ll be indicted within a year,’” Trump told reporters. “And I was right.”

Sharpton mentioned plans to meet mid-week with local leaders, including Minority Leader Jeffries from Brooklyn and Rep. Gregory Meeks from Queens, to address the controversy surrounding Adams.

“It doesn’t bode well for him that Trump is praising him,” Sharpton remarked about Adams, who is in a precarious position.

‘The ball is in Sharpton’s court’

Adams and Sharpton share a long history; Adams was an early board member of Sharpton’s civil rights organization, the National Action Network, and received a baptism from Sharpton last March at Rikers Island jail.

During the mid-1990s, Adams worked in security for Sharpton.

“If Sharpton suggests resignation, I believe Adams would have no choice but to comply,” said Ron Howell, author of “King Al,” a political biography of Sharpton.

“You could argue that the decision is in Sharpton’s hands,” he added.

A spokesperson noted that Jeffries “is not scheduled to meet with other elected officials to discuss the mayoralty.” Sharpton is not an elected official, and Meeks’ office did not respond to a request for comment.

A ‘politicized’ scandal

Federal investigators are also looking into the activities of Adams’ close associates, including a former police commissioner and two deputy mayors, along with the schools chancellor and the interim police commissioner.

Furthermore, the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is involved in the investigation, as evidenced by the seizure of the phone belonging to top City Hall aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin as she returned from Japan.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the authority to remove Adams, but Sharpton and others have cautioned her against making such a politically sensitive decision.

“There is a concern that this corruption issue will be leveraged against them in Congressional and Senate campaigns,” remarked George Arzt, a veteran political consultant in New York.

Between Adams’ indictment and the federal conviction of former Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey, Republicans have a strong basis for attack ads, according to Arzt.

“Trump is supporting Eric now, but this will be used against Democrats later,” he warned.

“I see this as a potential issue if it becomes politicized,” Sharpton noted.

Political experts warn that the situation surrounding Adams, along with any new charges, could alienate undecided voters in New York from Democratic candidates. The party is eager to regain four seats lost to Republicans in the 2022 elections..

Robert Hornak, a former executive director of the Queens Republican Party, stated, “Whenever one side faces a scandal, it tends to drive away independent or swing voters from that party.”

‘He can’t function’

Several Democrats are increasingly urging Adams to resign due to the city government being hindered by overlapping federal investigations.

State Senator Liz Kreuge told YSL News, “He is presumed innocent, but he can’t be mayor. He can’t operate, and neither can his administration.”

On Thursday, Adams claimed that the numerous investigations would not influence his ability to serve.

Adams faces accusations of accepting illegal foreign campaign donations and free travel from Turkey, as well as defrauding the city’s public campaign finance system to the tune of $10 million. He has denied all allegations.

A national Democrat, speaking anonymously, indicated that figures like Sharpton and Jeffries are pressured to address the potential harm Adams could pose to Harris and to Jeffries’s ambition to become the first Black Speaker of the House.

In a video released just before his indictment became public, Adams portrayed himself as a victim of a flawed system.

“I always knew that standing firm would make me a target – and a target I became,” he remarked.

He further stated, “The federal government has done nothing as its inadequate immigration policies have overwhelmed our shelter system with no support,” connecting this issue to his ongoing legal challenges.

Reportedly, State Attorney General Letitia James is investigating contracts pertaining to emergency housing for migrants under the Adams administration.

Mark Green, who served as the public advocate in the 1990s, commented, “The evidence against Eric is extensive, and his defense that the Biden-Harris administration has unjustly targeted him, a prominent Black elected official, is both ridiculous and ludicrous.”

Green emphasized that this approach reveals the difficulties in Adams’s defense.