Adams hits Queens church a day after arraignment on corruption charges
He’s living on a prayer.
Mayor Eric Adams visited a Queens church Saturday — to pray — a day after being arraigned on federal public corruption charges.
“The power of prayer!” Adams told reporters before delivering remarks to about 100 worshipers at the Greater African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jamaica.
“So I do a lot of praying, and I’m looking forward when I leave here to go on to continue to do what I do and move our city forward. That is what needs to take place now.”
Adams declined to address questions about whether Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove him from office, is pressuring him to resign.
He attended the Saturday installation service honoring the church’s new reverend, Stephen Green.
Among those in attendance was disgraced former senate Democratic Majority Leader Malcom Smith.
Smith was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted in 2015 on federal public corruption charges related to a failed scheme to get himself on the GOP line in the 2013 mayoral race.
Adams and the Queens Dem embraced each other at the ceremony.
“Malcolm Smith was convicted of federal corruption charges including bribery, wire fraud and extortion, and this is who the mayor is hanging out with days after he was indicted?” quipped a Democratic city council member.
Smith could be useful for the mayor, an Albany insider said.
“Looking at the threats the city is facing, Adams can’t afford to surround himself only with Catholic nuns,” the insider said. “[Smith] has got a record, but he’s got juice.”
Smith fled from the church without speaking to reporters.
Adams on Friday pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment accusing him of bribery, conspiracy and other public corruption charges.
He has claimed God delivered him a divine message roughly 30 years ago that they’d be mayor on Jan. 1, 2022 — the day he took office.