Adams indictment

Republicans wield Eric Adams indictment in fight for NY-03

“Some politicians steal the spotlight,” the narrator in a new ad says. “Others, like Tom Suozzi and Eric Adams, steal straight from your pocket.”

Madison Fernandez

An indictment rocked New York’s 3rd Congressional District — and the country — not long ago, ultimately costing the House GOP the seat. Republicans are now hoping another legal fight can help them flip the district back.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, House Republicans’ main super PAC, is wading into the 3rd District with an attack ad against Rep. Tom Suozzi. The Democrat won the seat earlier this year in a special election to replace then-Republican Rep. George Santos, who was indicted for a wide range of financial crimes and then kicked out of Congress.

The spot opens with Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ federal indictment, which dropped last month and alleges that he engaged in a yearslong conspiracy to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions, wire fraud and bribery. (Adams has pleaded not guilty.) The ad then links Adams to Suozzi, calling the mayor “Suozzi’s partner in crime” and hitting them both for raising taxes.

“Some politicians steal the spotlight,” the narrator says. “Others, like Tom Suozzi and Eric Adams, steal straight from your pocket.”

After Adams was indicted, Suozzi said it’s “sad that yet another public official has been indicted,” but did not call for his resignation. Suozzi’s opponent, former Republican state Assemblymember Mike LiPetri, has called for Adams to step down.

CLF’s spending is the first notable outside investment from any of the main House groups in the race for the full term, signaling that Republicans are feeling bullish in the final stretch of the election. President Joe Biden won this seat by 11 points in 2020, and Suozzi prevailed in the special election by around 8 points.

Even before Adams was indicted, Republicans have been using him — and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul — as boogeymen in advertising to criticize battleground Democrats on crime and immigration, hoping that their unpopularity would drag them down.