The next acting mayor of New York City — if federally indicted Eric Adams were to step down — would be Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a lefty Democrat who is often critical of cops and once ran a failed campaign for governor.
Williams, a self-described activist-politician who began his tenure as public advocate in 2019, has held elected office since 2010 when he first served on the City Council.
The 48-year-old Brooklynite, who lives on an Army base, has pushed for numerous liberal causes during his nearly 15-year career in public service.
Most recently, he backed a City Council bill that requires police officers to fill out detailed forms for encounters as mundane as helping a tourist with directions or asking witnesses questions while helping a sick train passenger.
During the tense 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the city, Williams stoked anti-cop sentiment and even accused then-Mayor Bill de Blasio of using his biracial family as a shield.
He also pushed to end solitary confinement in city prisons over the objections of correctional officers who work in the facilities.
Williams was caught in controversy when it was revealed in 2021 that he lives on a US military base that has 24-hour security — even as he pushed for slashing the NYPD’s budget.
He also was under fire last year because he allowed his staff to work from home after COVID lockdown regulations were lifted.
He defended the move, stating the office is on a hybrid schedule.
A pair of moderate Democratic council members offered up legislation to eliminate the public advocate office, claiming it’s a waste of taxpayer funds, but the proposal went nowhere.
Despite dealing with challenges from Tourette’s and ADHD, Williams earned Master’s degree from Brooklyn College, according to his public advocate website.
Williams ran in a Democratic primary for governor in 2022, and lieutenant governor in 2018, but fell short both times.
He was reelected public advocate in 2021 with nearly 76% of the vote.
The public advocate office was established in 1993 and is considered a watchdog arm of the government that helps citizens with municipal complaints and inquiries.
Williams would replace Adams and serve temporarily until a special election is set 80 days from the change in power.
Adams was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday night on charges connected to a federal probe, sources told The Post. Hizzoner claimed he was being persecuted by the federal government for speaking about the city’s migrant crisis following the historic indictment — the first for a sitting mayor.
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement to The Post.
“If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
In a video statement released later, Adams said he wouldn’t step down and pledged to “fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and spirit. … when the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system with no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics.”
A rep for the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment.
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