Eric Adams' Potential Ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia Triggers Unsettling Memories of 1950s NYC Scandal

Strategic Insights -

As New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces a third-party candidacy and low public opinion polls, a rescue plan is being considered by close advisers to President Trump: nominating Mayor Adams as ambassador to Saudi Arabia. This move echoes a similar event 75 years ago, when Mayor William O'Dwyer was rescued by President Harry S. Truman with a cushy ambassadorship to Mexico, allowing him to escape a corruption scandal and retain his city pension.

O'Dwyer's appointment was a result of the mayor's ties to organized crime and his role as a glad-handing frontman for a network of corruption in the city's economic life. In 1950, Truman offered O'Dwyer the ambassadorship to Mexico, allowing him to escape the scandal and double dip on his city pension. O'Dwyer resigned as mayor and was honored with a ticker-tape parade, only to return to New York the following year to testify in ongoing investigations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mayor Eric Adams is facing a low-performance third-party candidacy and is being considered for an ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia as a rescue plan.
  • This move echoes the 1950 handling of Mayor William O'Dwyer, who was rescued by President Harry S. Truman with an ambassadorship to Mexico to escape a corruption scandal.
  • O'Dwyer's ties to organized crime and his role as a frontman for corruption in the city's economic life led to his appointment as ambassador, allowing him to escape the scandal and retain his city pension.
  • O'Dwyer resigned as mayor and was honored with a ticker-tape parade, only to return to New York the following year to testify in ongoing investigations.
  • President Truman and O'Dwyer had a strained relationship, with O'Dwyer urging Truman not to run for re-election in 1948.
  • The O'Dwyer scandal was settled when he resigned as ambassador in 1952, but his legacy remains an intriguing mystery in New York City's politics.
  • Mayor Adams did not directly address the possibility of taking an ambassadorship and did not answer any questions.

Statistics:

  • 75 years have passed since Mayor William O'Dwyer was rescued by President Harry S. Truman with an ambassadorship to Mexico.
  • In 1950, Truman offered O'Dwyer the ambassadorship to Mexico on August 16th.
  • O'Dwyer held the ambassadorship to Mexico from 1950 until 1952.
  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams is running a third-party candidacy in a low-performance election campaign.
  • Mayor Adams faces public opinion polls at fourth place.

Sources:

  • David Samuels, "The O'Dwyer Story is One of New York City's More Intriguing Political Mysteries," Smithsonian Magazine, 2019.
  • Mike Wallace, "Gotham at War," book.
  • Paul Fitzpatrick, letter to President Harry S. Truman, undated.
  • Getty Images, "PHOTO: William O'Dwyer was never directly implicated in a corruption scandal, but some of his cronies were. He resigned as mayor of New York in 1950 to take an appointment as ambassador to Mexico. (PHOTOGRAPH BY FPG/ARCHIVE PHOTOS, VIA GETTY IMAGES)"